Contents

CContentso n t e n t s INTRODUCTION ...... 3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... 4

CHAPTER I. HISTORY OF PEACE CORPS IN THE BALTICS ...6

THE PEACE CORPS WORLDWIDE ...... 6 THE MISSION OF THE PEACE CORPS...... 6 ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PEACE CORPS PROGRAM IN THE BALTICS...... 6 PEACE CORPS BALTICS MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE ...... 7 RECRUITMENT AND PLACEMENT OF VOLUNTEERS ...... 9 PREPARATION OF VOLUNTEERS FOR SERVICE ...... 10 LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION TRAINING ...... 10 VOLUNTEERS’ WORK...... 11 VOLUNTEER SUPPORT: STAFF AND RESOURCES ...... 12 COOPERATING AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS ...... 13 RETURNED VOLUNTEERS AND THIRD GOAL ACTIVITIES...... 13 IMMEASURABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ...... 15

CHAPTER II.COUNTRY PROGRAM HISTORIES...... 17

LITHUANIA ...... 17 Program Development ...... 17 Volunteer Assignments ...... 18 Primary Assignments ...... 18 Secondary Projects...... 19 Major Accomplishments ...... 21 English Education...... 21 Small Enterprise Development ...... 23 Administration...... 25 Immeasurable Accomplishments ...... 25 LATVIA...... 27 Program Development ...... 27 Volunteer Assignments ...... 29 Primary Assignments ...... 29 Secondary Projects...... 29 Major Accomplishments ...... 31 English Education...... 32 Small Enterprise/NGO Development...... 34 Administration...... 37 ESTONIA...... 39 Program Development ...... 39 Volunteer Assignments ...... 40 Primary Assignments ...... 40 Secondary Projects...... 41 Major Accomplishments ...... 42 English Education...... 43 Small Enterprise/NGO Development...... 45 Administration...... 47

CHAPTER III.CONCLUSION...... 48

APPENDIX A: TABLES...... 50 Table 1: US Peace Corps/Baltics Volunteer Numbers in 1992-2002...... 51 Table 2: Age and Gender of US Peace Corps Volunteers in the Baltics...... 51

1 Contents

Table 3: Educational Qualification of US Peace Corps Volunteers in the Baltics ...... 51 Table 4: Number of Communities US Peace Corps Volunteers Served in the Baltics ...... 51 Table 5: US Peace Corps/Baltics SPA Grants in 1994-2000...... 51 Table 6: US Peace Corps/Baltics EBDP Grants in 1993-1999...... 51 Table 7: US Peace Corps/Baltics Staff Employment Status ...... 51 Table 8: US Peace Corps/Baltics Professional Host Country National (HCN) Staff ...... 51 Table 9: US Peace Corps/Baltics *PST HCN Staff in 1992-2000 in Numbers ...... 52 Table 10: US Peace Corps/Baltics Operating Budget (US$ in million) in 1995-2001 ..52 Tables: Lithuania...... 52 Table 11: Age and Gender of US Peace Corps Volunteers in Lithuania...... 52 Table 12: Educational Qualification of US Peace Corps Volunteers in Lithuania...... 52 Table 13: Number of Communities Served in Lithuania...... 52 Tables: Latvia...... 52 Table 14: Age and Gender of US Peace Corps Volunteers in Latvia...... 52 Table 15: Educational Qualification of US Peace Corps Volunteers in Latvia ...... 52 Table 16: Number of Communities Served in Latvia...... 52 Tables: Estonia...... 52 Table 17: Age and Gender of US Peace Corps Volunteers in Estonia...... 52 Table 18: Educational Qualification of US Peace Corps Volunteers in Estonia ...... 52 Table 19: Number of Communities Served in Estonia...... 52

APPENDIX B: LISTS ...... 53 The United States Peace Corps Volunteer Sites in Lithuania in 1992-2002 ...... 54 The United States Peace Corps Volunteer Sites in Latvia in 1992-2002 ...... 56 The United States Peace Corps Volunteer Sites in Estonia in 1992-2002 ...... 59 US Peace Corps Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania Staff 1992-2002 ...... 61

2 Introduction

IIntroductionn t r o d u c t i o n

This report, compiled by Jolita Norkûnaitë, was written in March 2002 as the Peace Corps prepared to close its programs in the countries of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, known as the Baltics Post.

The report is intended for two principal audiences. It is for the Host Governments, so they will know what the Peace Corps accomplished in their countries and how the work was carried out. It is also for future researchers who might want to know the “nuts and bolts” of the Peace Corps program: who served, where they were posted, the demographic profile of Volunteers, names of American and Host Country staff, and more.

We have tried to make the report brief. In doing so we have boiled down 10 fascinating, tumultuous and thrilling years in the Baltics to be left with just the essence. We have provided summary facts and figures that reveal principal accomplishments, and we have woven in some stories of Volunteers to try to capture the flavor of the human experience.

There is an Appendix that contains a series of tables of all of the known facts that were at our disposal about the Volunteers and their sites, and lists of people who were part of this adventure. These lists and tables were drawn from archived information taken from the Volunteers’ own Quarterly Reports as well as files and records kept in Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, and Washington, DC. We thank everyone who contributed to this report: Volunteers and staff, past and present; Volunteers’ co-workers; and the Country Desk Unit in Washington, DC.

None of this does justice to the story of 555 Peace Corps Volunteers who each took an oath to “well and faithfully discharge my duties in the Peace Corps.” That, they did.

Our pleasure and our pride in being part of the success of the Baltic States in re-establishing their independent democracies are immeasurable. We are grateful to the Governments of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia for their cooperation and guidance. We are grateful equally to the thousands of local citizens who welcomed Volunteers into their communities and into their homes and made their work here worthwhile.

Coralie Turbitt Jolita Norkûnaitë Country Director Post Closure Events Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia Coordinator 2000 – 2002 2001–2002

3 Executive Summary

EExecutivex e c u t i v e SSummaryu m m a r y

The Peace Corps is an American Government agency that provides mid-level professionals, working as Volunteers, to assist countries where local manpower is not sufficient to meet certain of its own needs. In addition to helping to meet manpower shortages, the Peace Corps aims to improve mutual understanding between Americans and the people of the countries in which the Volunteers serve. These goals of technical assistance and mutual understanding were considered equally important to President John F. Kennedy, who established the Peace Corps in 1961, and they remain the guiding principles of the Peace Corps to this day.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were the first of the former Soviet Republics to declare their Independence and were the first of the former Soviet territories to invite the Peace Corps to establish its programs in each country in 1992. As countries in transition from communism and a command economy to democracy and a free market economy, the issues to be addressed by the Peace Corps dealt with rather specific gaps in skills that were essential to the rapid integration of the countries into the Western community of nations.

This skills gap included the acquisition of English as a Foreign Language and in development of management and entrepreneurial skills among private business owners and in non- governmental organizations. When the Peace Corps signed the Country Agreements in February 1992, it was envisioned that Peace Corps assistance would be needed for just the transitional period. In the 10 years since Independence, this skills gap has narrowed considerably, and the three Baltic States have grown beyond the type of assistance the Peace Corps is able to provide, exactly as predicted.

When the last Volunteer departs in August of 2002, 555 Volunteers will have served in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania since 1992, most serving for two years or more. Over the period of 1992 – 2002, these 555 Volunteers will have taught English to almost 66,211 students, 14,855 adults, helped about 5,919 teachers to improve the quality of their English teaching, and assisted more than 30,726 business people and NGO workers to develop their financial and organizational management skills. Altogether Peace Corps Volunteers served in 186 towns and villages throughout the three countries, with 61% being towns of less than 10,000 residents.

In addition to the achievements mentioned above, Volunteers created a large and lasting body of teaching materials for English and business management purposes. They published manuals, created Resource Centers, introduced Information Technology in every sector of their involvement, taught the art of fundraising, and encouraged leadership in young people and in their co-workers. They contributed to the growth and legitimacy of volunteerism in all three countries, promoted the value of networking among businesses and professionals to expand knowledge and influence, and taught the techniques of project design and management to be used in virtually every aspect of civic and organizational development.

While grants are not a component of the Peace Corps program, Volunteers helped their host agencies attract substantial sums of money from European and American funding agencies. From two American sources alone, a total of $1,030,640 was raised to support community projects in the three countries. When combined with required local contributions, it comes to $2,019,586 for projects that benefited almost 236,000 Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians.

Volunteers have worked closely with local counter-parts and supervisors, and all have gained new professional insights through their intercultural interaction, as well as the short-term

4 Executive Summary technical training the Peace Corps has provided to all concerned. Each Volunteer had one or more counterparts, such as teaching colleagues, school Directors, local government officers, and fellow staff members of the agencies in which they served. Over the years, several thousand local citizens have worked with Volunteers as colleagues. Friendships have formed and continue long after the Volunteers have returned to their American homes. Skills learned from each other continue to be remembered, perfected, and used as both the Americans and their Baltic counterparts reap the personal and professional benefits of this cooperation.

The Peace Corps had an annual budget of approximately $1.733 million shared among the three posts. The central administration was based in Riga, but it maintained Program Offices in each country, staffed by Host Country National employees (HCNs). The Peace Corps relied heavily on the professional support of HCNs who selected Volunteer locations and advised Volunteers while serving in their sites. They managed complex training programs and taught local languages to Volunteers. In return, the Peace Corps provided these employees with in-service training at home and abroad. Their management and technical skills were enhanced through international training programs, and they were provided financial support for their continued professional education through their national universities, many earning advanced degrees or acquiring specialized certificates in subjects related to their professional assignment. A core group of 79 national employees worked for the Peace Corps over the 10-year life of the program, helping the Volunteers perform their duties more skillfully. This group of program and administrative national staff constitute a superbly capable work force who will continue to be a valuable resource to their own countries after the Peace Corps has closed its program.

Even though, the Peace Corps will close the programs in the Baltics as of September 30, 2002, the work of Volunteers does not cease with this end. Volunteers brought skills and ideas that contributed to the transition of the three countries and that left a lasting impression on schools and organizations across the Baltics. Finally, an invaluable and enduring impact was made on the lives of Americans, Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians, as Volunteers carried out the unique goal of the Peace Corps: to create better understanding among the people of the world.

5 History of Peace Corps in the Baltics

CChapterh a p t e r I.I . HHistoryi s t o r y ooff PeaceP e a c e CorpsC o r p s iinn thet h e BalticsB a l t i c s

The Peace Corps Worldwide

When President John F. Kennedy became President of the United States in 1961, he issued a call to service to Americans with these words: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” He manifested this vision by establishing the Peace Corps to promote world peace and friendship. The history of the Peace Corps began then and developed into a story of more than 165,000 Americans who have served as Volunteers in 135 countries. In 2002, as the Peace Corps commemorated its 41st anniversary, there were nearly 7,000 Volunteers serving in 70 countries around the world.

The Mission of the Peace Corps

The Peace Corps has three goals: To help the people of interested countries meet their need for trained men and women. To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served. To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

The Peace Corps is unique as a development assistance organization in that money is not a component of the assistance. The Peace Corps is the only American government program that engages in the people-to-people exchange of knowledge and skills. The history of the Peace Corps in the Baltics is a history of individual achievement. It is the achievements of individual Peace Corps Volunteers and individual Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians who have worked together to improve their community, who have gone on to higher education, who have created businesses that employ other people, and contribute to the greater good of their country. It is a history of bridge-building between the people of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and the people of the United States. It is a history of mutual learning and growing respect for one another as our understanding increases.

Establishment of the Peace Corps Program in the Baltics

After Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania regained their independence in 1991, the three countries committed to restoring democracy and taking their rightful place in the international community of nations. While mobilizing their own resources to meet the demanding needs of rapid development, the three governments requested foreign countries’ assistance, including the US Government and the Peace Corps. After the initial request was received, a team of five specialists from the United States Peace Corps in Washington, DC came to the Baltics on January 14-February 4, 1992 to clearly define the government’s request, identify the specific needs that were to be addressed at the local community level, and assess the potential for the Peace Corps to provide Volunteers to assist communities in meeting their needs.

The team met with senior government officials, leading academics, school directors, members of the new entrepreneurial class and farmers. What they found presented an unusual challenge for the Peace Corps. Long accustomed to working in countries with scant infrastructure development, poor health conditions, high illiteracy rates, and lack of trained manpower at all levels, the situation confronting the Baltic States was in no way similar. The task here was to recover rapidly from the privations of forced isolation from the outside world during the Soviet occupation. The population was well-educated and technologically sophisticated. They needed to transform their economy that was in a state of near-collapse. They needed to develop the human resources to run the new economy and establish the structures of civil society, long absent in the Soviet system.

6 History of Peace Corps in the Baltics

They needed specific new skills that were lacking in the immediate post-Soviet society, and they needed to do this as rapidly as possible.

It was determined that several human resource development needs existed that were appropriate for the Peace Corps to address. These were in English education, in the development of a small business advisory network to promote rural enterprises, and in environmental protection. In the end, the Peace Corps did not develop an environmental protection program, not being able to find the appropriate local structures to work with. Moreover, with the passing of time, local needs changed and the Peace Corps adjusted its focus to match these changes. Please see the individual country chapters for details on how those changes were made.

After the nature of the Peace Corps program was agreed upon, the official bi-lateral agreements were prepared. The Peace Corps Director, Elaine L. Chao, accompanied US Vice President Dan Quayle to the three countries on February 6-7, 1992 to sign official agreements to provide Peace Corps assistance. The three Baltic States were the first of the former Soviet Republics to invite the Peace Corps’ participation in their transition effort.

On March 1, 1992, four American staff members opened an office in Riga. They finalized the project plans, stated the goals and expected outcomes of the programs, and outlined the numbers of Volunteers and types of skills needed. Through a recruitment process in the US, the Peace Corps began to seek qualified Volunteers to meet each country’s needs. This included secondary school English teachers (TEFL), teacher trainers, and agribusiness/small enterprise development (SED) advisors. American staff worked closely with the representatives from the relevant Ministries in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to identify the towns and agencies where the Peace Corps’ help was needed and wanted. The staff also designed the first 12-week Pre-Service Training program, hired host country staff for language training and administrative support, as well as experienced American technical trainers to prepare future Volunteers for their two-year service in the designated countries.

Consequently, in June and July 1992, the first 45 TEFL and 23 SED Peace Corps Trainees arrived and were enrolled in 3-month training programs in Tallinn and Tartu (Estonia), Ogre (Latvia), and Vilnius (Lithuania). They were the first American Peace Corps Volunteers to come into countries of the former Soviet Union.

The following year, in March-April of 1993, despite frequent personnel and structural changes at the uppermost levels of government in the three countries, Memoranda of Understanding between the US Peace Corps and respective Ministries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were signed. The Memoranda clearly indicated the purpose and goals of the English Education, Rural and Small Enterprise Development projects, responsibilities of Peace Corps, Volunteers and host agencies, and policies carried by the Peace Corps and host country.

Peace Corps Baltics Management Structure

After signing the Country Agreements in February 1992, a single team of staff was sent in March 1992 to get the program started in all three countries. This team, consisting of the Country Director, two Associate Directors for TEFL and SED (through 1996), an Administrative Officer, and a Medical Officer, managed the three-country program from their Riga base. There were no offices in Lithuania or Estonia in that first year.

It had been the intention of the Peace Corps to appoint a Country Director and an American management staff for each country. In fact, the Country Directors were selected for Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia in 1992. However, the U.S. State Department, which controls the number of “official Americans” posted abroad, had not allocated enough official positions to accommodate a full American complement in Lithuania and Estonia and would not permit the Peace Corps to post the new personnel in Vilnius and Tallinn. Thus, the anomaly of one management unit for three countries came into being and was perpetuated in the Baltic countries for a variety of bureaucratic and budgetary reasons.

7 History of Peace Corps in the Baltics

In late 1992 and 1993, Host Country Nationals were hired to assist the Associate Directors for the TEFL and SED programs in the three countries. Offices were set up in Tallinn and Vilnius, staffed by two Program Assistants. Additional positions were added in these two countries starting in 1994, including Office Manager, Medical Officer, and Language Coordinator/Resource Center Manager. By 1996 the American Associate Directors for TEFL and SED were withdrawn from the Baltics post and the Program Assistants became Program Managers with primary responsibility for managing the program in their own country. An American Associate Peace Corps Director for Program and Training based in Riga provided supervision to country staff between 1996 – 2001, when that position was eliminated as part of the post closure strategy. At its peak, a total of 32 staff, American and host country, managed the program in the three countries. With 140 - 150 Volunteers in the three countries each year, this amounted to a ratio of approximately one staff to five Volunteers.

Since Host Country staff was central to the support of Volunteers, the Peace Corps consistently invested in their professional development. They attended international training programs in the US and throughout Eastern Europe and Asia where they joined colleagues from other Peace Corps programs, increasing their knowledge of technical issues as well as counseling techniques. In addition, the Peace Corps paid tuition fees for staff to work for advanced degrees at national universities or to earn specialized certificates relevant to their professional duties.

Since there was one Country Director and management unit, the three-country program became known as the Baltics Post. There was one central budget that funded all three countries together, administered from Riga. According to the available records, the Peace Corps in the Baltics has operated on the average annual budget of $1.733 million. This money was spent locally and included Program Support, consisting of local staff salaries, rents, communications, travel, supplies and other services, and Volunteer Operations, such as Volunteer living, leave and settling-in allowances, pre-service and in-service training, local travel, medical support and other Volunteer- related services. Volunteer operations covered 56% of the total annual budget, while program support totaled 44%. The recruitment and international travel costs of Volunteers, and salary and international travel costs of American staff did not figure in the country budget, but were contained in the central budget administered by the Washington, DC headquarters.

Logistics were handled by the Riga office. The Riga office was entitled to use the diplomatic pouch for official mail and supplies of equipment, books, and medicines for Volunteer support. These items were re-distributed by car to the offices in Vilnius and Tallinn, with cars shuttling weekly among the three countries.

Although the Baltics Post was funded as a single unit, the Volunteers were recruited specifically for Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania according to each country’s request. Pre-Service Training was held simultaneously, but separately, in the three countries, all supported out of the Riga office. New Volunteers usually arrived together in Riga, had a three-day general orientation program, and then dispersed to each country to begin technical training. They came together once a year in an All-Baltics Volunteer Conference, and again at the end of their service for the Close of Service Conference. Administratively it was one post; programmatically it was considered three countries.

PPeaceeace Corps/BalticsCorps/Baltics Staff:Staff: MichaelMichael Lowrie,Lowrie, AdministrativeAdministrative OfficerOfficer inin 1992-1993.1992-1993. TThehe EarlyEarly DaysDays

As the Administrative Officer for New Country Entry, my primary responsibility was to establish the administrative infrastructure to support the Volunteers, staff and programs in all three countries. I had about four months to do this instead of the nine months recommended in the Peace Corps’ start up manual. My first priority was to secure office space and housing for the staff and facilitate the arrival of the rest of the start-up team. Then I had to locate, hire and train local staff.

An important aspect of the Administrative Officer position was financial management. Functions that were normally handled by the US Embassy at other posts were not done by the Embassy in Riga. They, themselves, were not established enough to provide support to the Peace Corps. Local banks at that time would not accept US checks. That meant traveling to Helsinki once a month or so to get cash. Since the Peace Corps had to pay almost everything in cash, I had to have a large supply on hand at all times.

8 History of Peace Corps in the Baltics

This was very risky since the office safe ended up being sent to Moscow by mistake and took several months before it made its way to Riga. I slept with the petty cash fund in my apartment, worrying about a break-in at any moment. Working at first in the ruble, then three different local currencies and a mix of hard currencies from Finnish Marks to US Dollars created havoc until I hired a local cashier in Riga to handle such transactions.

The primary challenge was the logistics of working in a country that was itself in transition. Office space and housing, for example, were very difficult to find. When the government would recommend something, they would then find out a week later it was actually owned by someone else, and the Peace Corps staff would start over. There was virtually no private market. Another challenge was the logistics of operating in three countries. Staff had to work with three different sets of local officials and personally distribute living allowances to Volunteers in all three countries, since the banks could not do wire transfers. Finally, communication was a challenge as well. At first there was no phone in the Peace Corps office. That meant having to go to the Post Office and order a call to the US, waiting for an hour and then, of course, the person you needed to speak with was out to lunch!

On the other hand, there were highlights of the program as well: driving through the streets of Tallinn in the US Vice President’s motorcade with all the people waving; getting the keys to the office just before the first group of Volunteer arrived and just before panic set in; being able to cash a check at a local bank for the first time, and finally watching the first group of Volunteers take their oath.

Recruitment and Placement of Volunteers

There are 11 recruiting offices in major cities all over the United States that advertise the opportunities and benefits of Peace Corps service. They screen and select the most qualified applicants for positions overseas. They review the qualifications of the applicants with the requests that have come from the country offices and make the best match possible.

Every year, approximately 100,000 people inquire about Peace Corps service. Of that number, 10,000 apply and are interviewed, and of that number, 7,000 pass Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, but there is no upper age limit from the recruitment office on to Washington, DC. Finally, serving with the Peace Corps. The approximately 3,500 of those are issued invitations to youngest Volunteer who served in the become trainees. Baltics was 21 years old, and the oldest 81. In all, 66% were in their American and Host Country National staff developed 20s and 15% in their 30s. Volunteer sites in each country. For TEFL sites, advertisements were placed in the national newspapers Of the 555 Volunteers who served, explaining Peace Corps services and asking interested 99.5% possessed Bachelor’s schools to contact the Peace Corps if they had need of a degree, and 25% had graduate degrees. The remaining 0.5%, had Volunteer. Such applications were mailed from schools and gone through a variety of post- other educational institutions directly to the Peace Corps secondary technical training as well offices in Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. as had many years of valuable work SED/NGO Program Managers mailed information experience. packets to Regional and Municipal Governments, NGOs, and other organizations.

After the applications were received and reviewed, Program Managers visited tentatively selected sites. On site, they made an assessment of the requesting organization to be sure there was a viable assignment for a Volunteer, interviewed the potential supervisor and co-workers to be sure they were ready to work with a foreign Volunteer, and assessed the available housing and safety conditions of town. Since this was a skills transfer and exchange program, the presence of a friendly, open-minded counter-part to work with a Volunteer was an essential criterion.

The Volunteers were required to stay with a host family for at least one month to deepen their language and cross-cultural skills as well as for social and safety reasons. Foreigners were an oddity in the rural communities where Volunteers were posted, and the host family provided a sense of belonging so that everybody knew that the Volunteer was part of a local family.

9 History of Peace Corps in the Baltics

The last step of the process was to match Volunteers with the needs of selected sites. After observing the Volunteers during their PST and getting to know their personal and professional characteristics, Program Managers submitted their Volunteer assignment suggestions for the final approval of the Country Director.

Preparation of Volunteers for Service

The Peace Corps places great emphasis on the training of its Volunteers. Well-trained Volunteers should have sufficient confidence in themselves to be able to cope with problems as they arise. They should be able to devise solutions based on a solid understanding of their role and of the cultural setting in which they work, and they should require little supervision during their two year assignment. Such Volunteers will be successful in attaining all of the goals set by the Peace Corps and the Host Country.

The Peace Corps provided an intensive 10 – 12 week Pre-Service Training program and continued to support Volunteers throughout their service with short-term in-service training designed to strengthen their performance in specific areas, be it language proficiency or technical skill. The principal areas of training were language, technical skill development, cross-culture, and personal health and safety.

Not all of the people who began training finished it. In the Baltics, a total of 602 people entered training, but only 555 successfully completed it and took up their assignments. For one reason or another, personal choice or inability to meet the training criteria, 47 Trainees did not remain.

The key to the success of a Volunteer, professionally and personally, is the ability to communicate in the national language. It not only provides the necessary tools of communication, it provides essential insights into the culture and values of the people who speak it. The Peace Corps prides itself worldwide on its ability to give Volunteers a basic understanding of a language in 10 weeks that allows them to build an acceptable degree of fluency during the first year of service.

Language and Communication Training

The language-training component provided Trainees with the necessary skills to be able to effectively communicate socially and professionally as Peace Corps Volunteers. The primary teaching methodology employed for language learning was the Competency Based Curriculum approach whereby Trainees were able to develop their language skills, including speaking, listening, reading, some writing and grammar, around experiences parallel to those that they needed for work and life in the Baltics. This was accomplished in an average of 150 formal and outside classroom hours.

The materials used for language learning and teaching during the training were designed and published by the local Peace Corps Language staff. A CD ROM of these materials is available from the US Embassy Public Affairs Office.

The training program was designed so that by the end of PST, all Trainees could be expected to be able to handle successfully a limited number of interactive, task-oriented and social situations and maintain face-to-face conversation in a highly restricted manner and with much linguistic inaccuracy. The speaker, however, could generally make himself understood.

In addition, the language program equipped Trainees with skills for continued language study at their site. By the end of their years of service a number of motivated Volunteers were able to reach the advanced level of language proficiency, when they could converse in the language in a clearly participatory fashion. A total of 118 Volunteers (24% of the 492 PCVs tested) scored at the advanced level and five reached the superior level, which is near native-speaker, in Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian and Russian.

10 History of Peace Corps in the Baltics

Volunteers’ Work

When the three countries emerged from Soviet isolation, a great deal had changed in the Western world. There were changes in technology, the development of a global economy, and the creation of huge bodies of social and scientific information all of which were of crucial importance to the people of the Baltics. Moreover, in the 50-year period of occupation, English had become the international language of commerce, science and diplomacy.

While foreign languages, including English, had been taught in the schools throughout the Soviet period, it is notoriously difficult to learn to speak a foreign language with just a few hours each week of grammar instruction. Few people, including the English teachers, could actually speak English. Peace Corps Volunteers, as native speakers of English, could greatly enrich the English language program in the secondary school system. This is what they devoted themselves to, the creation of an active learning environment where students gained confidence in spoken English. As the transition advanced, Volunteers became even more useful. The new economy demanded English-speakers, and many teachers with knowledge of English were attracted away from the school system to more lucrative jobs in the private sector. Volunteers helped fill this expanding gap in language teaching.

Shifting from an authoritarian form of government and a command economy, to an open society with a free market economy, also required the acquisition of new business management skills by ordinary people throughout the society. They needed new management tools, but they also needed to develop new ways to analyze problems and devise new solutions.

During the 10 years of the Peace Corps involvement in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Volunteers have assisted in the fields of English education, small business and non-governmental organization development and entrepreneur training. Since the beginning of the Peace Corps program, 555 Volunteers served in the Baltics: 346 English Education Volunteers, 162 Business and 47 NGO Advisors, each serving for two or more years. Over the period of 1992-2002, these Volunteers taught English to approximately 66,220 students and assisted approximately 21,670 business people and NGO personnel to develop their financial and organizational management skills. Altogether they served in 186 communities throughout Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, with 61% being towns of less than 10,000 residents.

All Volunteers had a primary assignment where they spent the majority of their time, as well as secondary projects that they developed on their own in conjunction with counterparts.

As their primary assignment, TEFL Volunteers worked in secondary, tertiary and university level schools, teacher training centers, and Ministries. They helped their students and fellow English teachers gain greater confidence in spoken English, debate, writing, and in critical thinking skills. They also prepared their students for the 12th Form exam and worked on the National English Exam preparation teams. Volunteers helped acquire new teaching resources for schools, established several fully equipped Language Resource Centers, and taught students, colleagues, and community members alike how to use computer technology.

Moreover, Volunteers introduced new approaches to active language-learning, creating teaching materials that included curricula, course and lesson plans, games, audio/visual aids, and published textbooks. Altogether 164 communities and 272 educational institutions in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania benefited from Peace Corps TEFL Volunteers assigned directly to them.

Most of the business development Volunteers (SED) worked through regional and local governments and business centers. They advised individuals in the start up of new businesses, helped others improve management and marketing techniques through business seminars and workshops, including how to use Information Technology as a business tool. They taught business-related topics to students, teachers and community members and helped establish Junior Achievement programs throughout the three countries, especially in Lithuania and Estonia.

11 History of Peace Corps in the Baltics

By 1996, the number of non-governmental organizations was on the rise. In 1997 the Peace Corps began to provide advisers to NGOs to assist with organizational development, management, project development and fund-raising. Using skills similar to the business advisors, Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Volunteers helped NGOs establish good management practices, create publications, use computer technology, and develop funding strategies. In addition, they taught the elements of project design and management and the techniques and benefits of networking among organizations to share information and enhance their influence. In all, 104 communities and 190 regional and local governments, business centers and NGO organizations in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania benefited from Peace Corps SED/NGO Volunteers.

As secondary projects, both TEFL and SED Volunteers actively participated in summer camps and longer-term projects. Many of these projects focused on youth leadership development, but they also included educational materials development and teacher training. Other secondary projects included issues of environment, gender in development, health education, HIV/AIDS prevention, and alcohol, tobacco and drug Although Peace Corps Volunteers did not have funds abuse prevention in young people. to distribute, they helped local counterparts learn the technique of designing projects and writing grant For more specific activities and examples proposals that have attracted funding to their local community. Over the years, teams of Estonians, look in each country’s separate section. Latvians and Lithuanians and their Peace Corps counterparts have succeeded in raising significant amounts of money from American and European Volunteer Support: sources, from official government funds as well as private foundations. From two US Government grant Staff and Resources programs alone, both funded by USAID, a total of $1,030,640 was raised to support projects. When The Peace Corps provided continuous combined with required local contributions, the support to Volunteers through their two funding mobilized from these two funds alone came to $2,019,586. More than 235,880 Estonians, years of service. This included regular Latvians and Lithuanians benefited from activities visits from Program Managers and other supported by these two US funds: Small Project staff to observe their work, discuss matters Assistance (SPA) and European Business Development of adjustment with the Volunteer and co- Project (EBDP). workers, and to assess their general well- being.

In-service training designed to widen and deepen Volunteers’ knowledge was a constant factor in the support system. Such training included special three-day workshops for Volunteers and counterparts in project design and management, regional networking, teacher training, and youth at risk, as well as shorter one-day refresher classes in language, technical studies, cross-culture, or other issues identified by the Volunteers. Volunteers took such training seriously and used these occasions to build their professional capacity.

As far as Volunteer health and safety needs are concerned, the Peace Corps maintained its own full-time medical staff, of qualified North American nurses. They provided Volunteers with health and safety information, consultation and counseling services and medical supplies.

The other part of the support system was material and financial resources. The Peace Corps established Resource Information Centers in Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius accessible to Volunteers, their counterparts and staff. The centers provided books and other publications for Volunteers’ work, language and culture studies as well as access to copy machines, VCRs, tape recorders and a place for meetings, seminars or workshops. The books were distributed to regional educational centers throughout the three countries prior to the closure of the program.

To support Volunteer and counterpart-generated community projects, in addition to SPA and EBDP funding sources, the Peace Corps established two other programs: The Peace Corps Partnership Program (PCPP) and the Gifts in Kind (GIK) Program. PCPP did not directly fund projects but served to link Volunteers with interested individuals, groups, foundations and service organizations in the United States private sector that were willing to make financial contributions. Projects

12 History of Peace Corps in the Baltics ranged widely in their scope of objectives and amounts requested as well as sponsors. GIK was created to help Volunteers seek material support that is not available in the country of service from corporations, foundations, individuals and organizations for the Peace Corps’ programs and projects around the world. In Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the projects ranged from obtaining educational materials, such as books, to sporting equipment, as well as a photocopy machine and laptop computers.

Cooperating Agencies and Organizations

The US Peace Corps program in the Baltics developed cooperative relationships with many local and international organizations. The Peace Corps English Education and SED/NGO Volunteers established contact for their hosts and successful professional relationships with international agencies such as United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United States Information Service (USIS), International Executive Service Corps (IESC), American Chamber of Commerce, Junior Achievement (JA), Volunteer Overseas Cooperative Assistance (VOCA), SOROS-Open Society Fund, the British Council, European Union PHARE, US-Baltic Foundation, Baltic American Enterprise Fund, Baltic American Partnership Fund, Swede Corps-Swedish International Enterprise Development Corporation and others.

These organizations played an important role in the successful start up and development of the Peace Corps program in the Baltics. All generously provided services ranging from expert training, to educational materials, to technical advice, to substantial grants for complex projects.

The cooperation between EU PHARE and Peace Corps was considered valuable to both programs to give the most immediate support to entrepreneurs. Volunteers working in newly opened Business Centers assisted in setting up and developing beneficiary and staff training as well as local government networks. EU PHARE financed the centers with the assistance of local governments. Peace Corps Volunteers provided guidance and training locally.

There were a few Peace Corps Volunteers who directly worked with Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Chambers of Commerce. Other Volunteers worked indirectly helping beneficiaries identify possible business partners in the US. Similarly, PCVs assisted clients in developing business plans, and, with the cooperation of Swede Corps, assisted their clients to develop international contacts for possible business partners or markets in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries.

In later years of the Peace Corps program in the Baltics, the Peace Corps established a referral relationship with Baltic American Enterprise Fund, US-Baltic Foundation, Baltic American Partnership Fund, helping their local clients prepare business plans or project proposals to these funding sources.

A number of other organizations were valuable financial resources for Volunteers and their community-initiated projects. USAID funded the European Business Development Program (EBDP) that supported training, materials development and procurement of supplies and the Small Project Assistance (SPA) that monetarily supported the secondary community-initiated projects to help communities to help themselves. Another agency was SOROS Foundation whose resources were used for a variety of projects, including computer purchases for schools, establishment of Resource Centers, summer camps, health education, debate and other training workshops, student exchanges and material development.

Returned Volunteers and Third Goal Activities

The third goal of the Peace Corps is to increase the understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. What Volunteers have done once they return to the U.S. is very important and represents the long-term investment of the Peace Corps. For many Volunteers Peace Corps service motivated them to go to graduate schools for advanced study in variety of fields, either economics, politics, diplomacy, development, education, journalism, law or international relations.

13 History of Peace Corps in the Baltics

For others the Peace Corps experience has allowed them to proceed with greater international awareness to certain lines of work such as business and economic development in Eastern European countries, the Foreign Service, work with international organizations and agencies that focused on Eastern European development issues, and teaching jobs inside and outside the United States. Many former Volunteers used the same Peace Corps spirit and continued their volunteer work in their own communities.

After their service, Volunteers have continued to share their Baltic knowledge and experience and have promoted its better understanding on the part of other people with whom they have worked or studied. Returned Volunteers have spoken to local churches and universities about economic and social progress of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian nations, delivered slide shows or picture presentations to students in high schools, universities and people in local libraries and to Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian ethnic groups in the United States. Finally, Volunteers shared their knowledge with friends, whether it is their hard-won patience and perseverance, or the gracious Baltic gesture of offering flowers to express appreciation to a teacher, a co-worker or family member.

Returned Volunteers have established a non-profit VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: AlisonAlison Boak,Boak, GroupGroup 3 TEFLTEFL PCV,PCV, inin Latvia.Latvia. HHumanuman TraffickingTrafficking PreventionPrevention ProgramsPrograms inin LatviaLatvia organization, Friends of the Baltics (FOB) that includes During her time of teaching in Ogre, Alison Boak, became involved with Returned Volunteers and youth in the community. She developed a number of health promotion other people interested programs for young people together with the newly organized Ogre in the Baltic region. One Youth Health center. This led to her remaining in Latvia a third year as of the main goals of the a Fulbright Scholar to aid in the formation of the Youth Health Center organization is to facilitate Council of Latvia, an umbrella organization of the more than 11 youth exchange between people health centers located throughout Latvia. This organization was formed interested in developments in order to facilitate the sharing of resources and formation among youth-serving NGOs throughout Latvia. Although Alison officially in the Baltics. FOB moved from Latvia back to the States in 1997, upon completion of members have performed her Fulbright project, she continued to be actively involved in the a number of activities development and implementation of youth projects in Latvia. including volunteering at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival Upon returning to the United States, Alison attended the Mailman in Washington, DC which School of Public Health at Columbia University and together with featured the Baltic countries a colleague from graduate school, co-founded the International in summer of 1998 and Organization for Adolescents (IOFA). IOFA is an independent, raising a sufficient amount of nonprofit organization committed to advancing the health and well- being of adolescents throughout the world. IOFA works in partnership funds to support talented but with local organizations to fill gaps in the programs and services disadvantaged students from available to young people in a particular community. IOFA’s first rural communities to pursue project, The Project for the Prevention of Adolescent Trafficking (PPAT- educational opportunities. Latvia), was launched in Latvia in 1999 as a partnership between Moreover, Friends of the IOFA, the Youth Health Center Council of Latvia and GENDERS Baltics supported “The Community Organization. Sponsored by the United Nations Fund for Plenary”, an annual art Women (UNIFEM), PPAT-Latvia was begun to address a serious gap in symposium, in the city of human trafficking prevention programs in Latvia. Alytus held every summer in Lithuania and raised funds for “The Lighthouse”, a new shelter for women in Riga, in response to the alarming increase in the number of young women being trafficked from Latvia for sexual exploitation.

Returned Volunteers have worked on other individual projects to promote Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania such as: a report available on a web site on the Internet about all aspects of information technology in Latvia (Christina Deady, Group 7 NGO Volunteer in Latvia); the Lithuania section of Countries and Their Cultures, published by Macmillan Reference in 2001 (Coleen Nicol, Group 4 TEFL Volunteer in Lithuania); a book, In Search of the Elusive Peace Corps Moment: Destination: Estonia, written by a former Estonian Group 1 SED Volunteer Douglas Wells, that memorializes his Peace Corps adventures as well as chronicles a unique time in Estonia’s history when the country was making the transition to democracy and free market economy.

14 History of Peace Corps in the Baltics

Immeasurable Accomplishments

The Peace Corps placed great emphasis on developing good project design and management skills in Volunteers. These skills were transferred to local counterparts through working together to create complex projects, and then getting them funded. Throughout the later years, groups of Volunteers and their counterparts received training in the principles of Project Design and Management, a program that had been developed by experts at the Washington headquarters and adapted to the local environment. In 2000, knowing it was about to close its program, the Peace Corps offered a Training of Trainers workshop for Volunteers and their counterparts. This helped assure that this skill is firmly imbedded in the host agencies and that VVolunteerolunteer inin Development:Development: IndrëIndrë Biskis,Biskis, GroupGroup 1 SEDSED the skills continue to be passed on. PPCV,CV, inin LithuaniaLithuania “From“From WorldWorld Learning-LithuaniaLearning-Lithuania toto LLithuanianithuanian BusinessBusiness CouncilCouncil inin Chicago.”Chicago.” A habit that is peculiarly American is After her Peace Corps service, Indrë continued working networking and sharing information in the country as Program Director of World Learning among colleagues. Volunteers worked in 1995-2000. World Learning is an American not- within their schools to encourage faculty for-profit organization funded by USAID to manage to share ideas on teaching, share the USAID Participant Training Project for Europe, as materials that had been successful, and well as its Entrepreneurial Management and Executive help each other improve the quality Development Programs since 1994, and, since 1997, of education in the school. Volunteers its Technical Training for Societies in Transition (TRANSIT). in business centers and NGOs The organization offered leaders and other professionals specialized skills and practical knowledge through short- worked to develop networks of allied term study/tours in the US. It provided help to Lithuania organizations within the region, as by developing sustainable in-country programs with the well as nationally and internationally, assistance of US experts in various areas, including in order to form coalitions to share strengthening fiscal management, stabilizing the financial resources, coordinate activities, and sector, improving safety and policy of the energy sector, generally maximize the impact of and strengthening the NGO sector. otherwise small projects.

After Indrë returned to the US, she initiated a revival of This was a significant change in the the Lithuanian Business Council in Chicago, Illinois to help foster business relations between Lithuania and US by working habits of many Baltic citizens, providing concrete business advice to persons involved in and went against the instinct of distrust both sides, information, and networking opportunities for built up during the 50 years of Soviet people to learn from one another. This is one of the few rule. Where closely held knowledge business organizations focusing on Lithuania and business was considered power, Volunteers in the United States. engendered the notion that shared knowledge was even greater power.

15 THE UNITED STATES PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER SITES IN LITHUANIA IN 1992-2002 Lithuania

CChapterh a p t e r III.I . CCountryo u n t r y ProgramP r o g r a m HistoriesH i s t o r i e s

Lithuania

Program Development

With the advent of independence in 1991 Lithuania committed itself to re-establishing a democratic society, re-entering competitive world markets, and opening the doors of modern science, technology, and commerce to its citizens. Policy reforms were underway to privatize state enterprises and farms and to safeguard property rights. To support these goals, the Government of Lithuania needed to encourage the development of small enterprises, especially in rural areas that were bound to be the hardest-hit by unemployment during the restructuring AAdministrativedministrative TimelineTimeline process. It also realized that nationwide fluency in English was essential for Country Agreement signed February 7, 1992 by US Lithuanians to take full advantage of their Vice President Dan Quayle and Vytautas Lansbergis, newly expanded economic and social Chairman of the Supreme Council. opportunities. First Volunteers arrive June 1992. The Peace Corps responded to these expressed needs and put into place two Vilnius Peace Corps office opened in late 1992. projects, Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) and Small Enterprise Memorandum of Understanding signed by Dainius Trinkûnas, Minister of Culture and Education and Development (SED). The nature of the Dagnija Kreslins, Peace Corps Country Director, Peace Corps projects remained stable March 11, 1993. for the 10-year period, but elements of the two projects were modified Memorandum of Understanding signed by Julius to reflect the changing needs and Veselka, Minister of Economics, and Dagnija opportunities presented by the rapidly Kreslins, Peace Corps Country Director, April 13, evolving Lithuanian economic and social 1993. environment. Business English component added to TEFL project, July 1995. For example, the SED project got off to a difficult start. Initially the Ministry NGO component added to SED project, of the Economy planned to establish a July 1997. series of small business centers for local governments. However, there was a Peace Corps closed Lithuanian office, August 30, change in policy in 1992, and the 2002. Volunteers found themselves not attached to a local agency, because they did not exist. The five SED Volunteers who came to Lithuania in 1992 went to their assigned sites but were “adopted” by various new associations and institutes that were neither established nor focused. Volunteers were basically on their own to identify target beneficiaries, market their skills and establish routines to provide the mandated skill transfer. Their experience and insights into the needs of the local communities helped the Ministry develop its eventual program of support through its newly established Entrepreneurship Division. The Peace Corps program was then aligned with this new Division starting in 1993.

The first TEFL and SED Volunteers arrived to begin training in July 1992. By 1995 the demand for Business English at all levels was strong. The Peace Corps added this element to its TEFL project, combining some of the talents of both SED and TEFL Volunteers in the training and assignment of the Volunteers recruited to implement this new Business English focus.

17 Lithuania

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, certain State social services were withdrawn. To replace the “social safety net,” elements of civil society, absent during Soviet times, reappeared. Volunteerism, which was largely coerced service during Soviet rule, was dormant. Yet necessity dictated that private Lithuanian citizens organize themselves to fill the gaps left by the withdrawal of an all-pervasive government. Swearing-in Ceremony in Alytus, 1999

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) struggled into existence. They had much to overcome, not the least of which was the negative image of volunteerism left over from Soviet times. There was also profound need for financial assistance for these organizations to operate their programs. Financial assistance was made available by such organizations as the SOROS Open Society Fund, the Baltic American Partnership Fund, the United States Agency for International Development, and the EU PHARE program, among others. Yet having the funds available and actually getting the funds into the NGO’s hands were two different matters. Lithuanians generally did not have experience managing organizations, designing projects, writing grant proposals and accounting for expenditures. The Peace Corps modified its SED project in 1997 to include Volunteers assigned to work with the NGO community to help overcome these weaknesses. Many of the business management skills Volunteers were transferring to private entrepreneurs were valid for NGO managers as well.

Volunteer Assignments

PPrimaryr i m a r y AssignmentsA s s i g n m e n t s Volunteers all had a primary assignment to a school or an agency that had requested their services. As a matter of policy, the Peace Corps assigned Volunteers to as wide an area of Lithuania as possible. Peace Corps Volunteers served in 55 towns and in 169 organizations in Lithuania, including secondary schools, universities, colleges, educational centers, NGOs, business advisory agencies, tourist information centers, municipalities and ministries. Volunteers were replaced in successive years in some organizations due to continuing or newly created projects that needed PCV involvement, or because they were umbrella organizations in which PCVs served a large client base and Interacting with local kids during the Peace Corps’ initial orientation in Jûrmala, 1993

18 Lithuania assisted other PCVs in the country. Volunteers worked in all counties and almost all districts except Varëna, Ðalèininkai and Zarasai. In all, 33% of the towns had a population of less than 10,000 residents. An additional 58% of the Volunteer sites were medium sized rural towns of less than 100,000 residents.

Since 1992, 111 PCVs, of whom twelve were Business VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: SusanSusan Cooper,Cooper, GroupGroup 2 TEFLTEFL English teachers and nine Teacher PPCV,CV, inin Kaunas.Kaunas. Trainers, have taught English in 68 secondary schools and In addition to teaching 20 hours of English every week, gymnasiums, five universities, Susan developed an extensive community outreach program. academies and institutes, nine Susan founded a Community Center in the city of Kaunas colleges and tertiary level schools and organized activities for over 100 youth. Moreover, she initiated an International English Club that expanded from 10 as well as seven education and participants from two countries to over 60 participants from language centers. more than 10 countries in a period of six months.

In the same period 83 SED/NGO Susan worked closely with the Soros Foundation and her PCVs, of whom 65 were SED and school administration to integrate Health Education into her 18 were NGO Volunteers, served school’s curriculum and to advise a student-managed Peer in 34 communities. The SED/NGO Counseling program. Finally, as part of her Summer project, Volunteers were assigned to 29 Susan designed and managed a 4-day English Summer Camp regional and local governments for 120 children. As part of this project she recruited, trained, and supervised 6 Lithuanian youth counselors and secured and municipalities, five Business $4500 in grant money to cover 50% of camp costs for 40 Advisory Centers, three Business children in financial need. Incubators, two Tourist Centers, two NGOs, one Business Information Center, two Chambers of Commerce; fifteen Youth, Women, Scout and NGO Centers, Junior Achievement, four Institutes, five business colleges, three universities, one foundation, and finally, one posted in the Ministry of Economics.

SSecondarye c o n d a r y ProjectsP r o j e c t s All Peace Corps Volunteers worldwide are considered to be “on duty” 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except when on annual leave. Therefore, once Volunteers had become established in the community they were expected to develop a secondary project that helped community members attain their goals. These secondary projects became as important in terms of social impact as their primary assignments.

Volunteers carried out multiple secondary projects during their two years of service, and this report cannot do justice to the breadth of activities undertaken. One day each week was considered Women’s Business and Leadership Camp (WBLC) in Anykðèiai, 1999: a demonstration of self-expression an “outreach day.” Negotiated in advance with the primary site supervisor, Volunteers took that day to serve other people or institutions in the community or to work in concert with Volunteers on national-scale projects. In the secondary projects, the specialty lines blurred and almost all SED/NGO Volunteers taught English in formal and informal situations, and almost all TEFL Volunteers assisted business operators

19 Lithuania

or NGOs in special tasks. VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: All Volunteers translated CCarolarol JJenkins,enkins, GGrouproup 2 SEDSED PPCV,CV, inin Alytus.Alytus. business as well as Carol was very active in Women in Development in the city of Alytus. personal documents for their Together with the Alytus Technological College she organized a Lithuanian neighbors and Women in Business seminar (about 200 participants). Women with colleagues. Many Volunteers achievements in different areas were invited as guest speakers. They taught people how to use demonstrated to young women how to be successful in business. a computer, imparting skills Furthermore, Carol worked with a group of women who had an idea ranging from typing through of establishing a Women’s Center in Alytus. The goal of the center was creation of sophisticated to create a place where women could receive medical, psychological, web sites. and business consultations and also have a place to socialize and discuss their problems. The Volunteer delivered a grant writing seminar for 65 women, and later worked with them in preparing proposals for The most prominent form the Global Fund for Women in California and Peace Corps SPA funds. of secondary project, Seeing the enthusiasm and hard work of these Alytus women, local however, was the attention businesses contributed funds and the regional government decided to paid to youth, especially pay a director’s salary. The center was established in 1995 and was girls. Groups of Volunteers publicized in the local and national press. organized summer camps to develop leadership skills of

VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: ColeenColeen Nicol,Nicol, GroupGroup 4 TEFLTEFL PCV,PCV, inin Ðiauliai.Ðiauliai.

Coleen played an important role in helping students to overcome the problems they faced. She and her coworker created an NGO called the Youth Rights Education Center. With the help of a SPA grant, the Center was started in 1997 and was run by two coordinators and 20 students from the school. They held such varied events as a ‘tolerance’ day, an AIDS awareness day, a UN day, and a UNESCO club. They had various sessions on youth rights and translated a Swedish guidebook for students into Lithuanian.

Coleen also got a grant for a peer support program in which older students were mentors for younger students. The ten older student volunteers went through an intense training workshop in which they learned how to run sessions on various topics such as self-esteem, confidence, communication, youth rights, and opinion giving. The program had 110 participants (mentors and younger students) from five different schools.

In addition to these projects, Coleen actively participated in material development projects by writing and editing various English textbooks created by her co-workers.

girls, as well as to engender confidence and self-esteem, and to broaden the career horizons of rural girls. This camp, along with other specialized summer youth camps that were devoted to environmental themes or healthy life-styles, stressed the use of English in an active environment. Other projects implemented during the summer break involved conversational English courses for

VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: AaronAaron Troutman,Troutman, GroupGroup 3 SEDSED PCV,PCV, inin Kaunas.Kaunas.

The goal of Aaron Troutman and his co-workers at the Lithuanian University of Agriculture was to create an agricultural export catalog that would provide information on Lithuanian products and producers to a target market of buyers in the Baltic States, Commonwealth of Independent States, and Central and Eastern Europe.

Aaron and his colleague began the difficult mission of creating Lithuania’s first-ever agricultural product buyer’s guide. With a $20,000 grant from the USAID “European Business Development Program,” the two put together a team of 14 graduate students and organized contributing support from 18 international and local organizations.

The project team, in collaboration with local organizations, created an information database of Lithuanian producers and products, which did not previously exist. Additionally, the team traveled throughout Lithuania’s 44 regions conducting meetings and distributing questionnaires. The graduate-students contributing to the project were able to gain practical work experience in marketing research, promotion, public-relations, and international marketing of agribusiness.

20 Lithuania

The results of the project were visible in the 5000 copies of the buyer’s guide, “Lithuania: Agricultural Products for Export.” The guide provided export information on over 500 Lithuanian producers. Distribution of the catalogs included: agricultural product buyers worldwide (90% concentration in the target market), foreign and Lithuanian Embassies, and international trade exhibitions. fellow teachers and the development of a substantial body of English teaching resources carried out by teams of Lithuanian and Peace Corps teachers.

Secondary projects reflected a wide array of interests of both communities and Volunteers, but the majority of them fell into the following categories: environment, HIV/ AIDS prevention, health education, women in development, and information technology. Many of these projects were aided by a source of USAID funding available to support Volunteers’ projects, the Small Project Assistance (SPA) and the European Business Development Project (EBDP).

Both SPA and EBDP funded projects at Volunteers’ primary assignment agency as well as secondary projects. In all $325,541 was granted to such projects. Combined with required local contributions of time, facilities, and cash, the total value of these grants was $712,560 in Lithuania, benefiting approximately 28,827 citizens.

Volunteer teaching in Darius and Girënas Secondary School in Ðilalë, 1996-1998 Major Accomplishments

Peace Corps Volunteers’ activities centered on meeting the need for mid-level technical assistance, the skills transfer between colleagues, and their teaching activities. In addition, Volunteers helped create institutions such as Business Centers, Teacher Resource Centers, and school libraries. They wrote textbooks, curricula, compendia of funding sources, business plan formats and in general created a body of work that is physical and visible. EEnglishn g l i s h EEducationd u c a t i o n

The initial goal for TEFL was to teach English to 9,900 students, 495 teachers, and 660 adults. When the final count was done, it showed that in 10 years Volunteers taught English to 20,627 students from Forms 2-12, 1,567 teachers, and 6,923 adult learners. In total, 206 educational institutions benefited from Volunteer- Mid-Service Conference on materials development; Volunteers and counterparts in Jûrmala, 1995

21 Lithuania

produced resources, books and additional materials created or VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: Dr.Dr. MarilynMarilyn Ambrose,Ambrose, GroupGroup 2 TEFLTEFL PPCV,CV, inin Panevëþys.Panevëþys. acquired for daily use. Professor Emeritus Ambrose celebrated her 62nd birthday on the The active learning techniques day she completed service as an English Professor in Panevëþys. initiated or created by Volunteers Dr. Ambrose and her colleagues developed a standardized included development of curriculum for the Business Administration degree at Kaunas critical thinking through debate, Technical University, Panevëþys Campus. She successfully competition in national English secured a grant of $10,000 to provide technical resources and Olympiads, use of English-only audio-visual equipment for the Panevëþys English Resource Center in the classroom, English drama, that is used by over 130 community learners and teachers. student English newspapers, In addition, Dr. Ambrose and her Lithuanian colleagues public speaking clubs, English organized an annual Career Day for Women to prepare young clubs, and the integration of Lithuanian women for self-reliance and determination. Finally, she social issues into lesson plans. was an active member of the “Versmë” folk group and performed with Lithuanian dancers at international Folk Dance Festivals in Volunteers increased available authentic ethnic costume. Dr. Ambrose’s Lithuanian language English Language resources skills steadily improved to the level that she was able to deliver in their schools by developing professional speeches in Lithuanian and translate Lithuanian song lesson plans, curriculum, booklets into English. supplemental teaching materials, tests and examinations, recorded tapes, games and puzzles. Other resources that were obtained through donations or school purchases with Volunteers’ assistance include English-English dictionaries, readers, practice grammars, song books, magazines and newspapers that have been contributed to classrooms, school libraries and teacher resource centers.

Teaching materials were not widely accessible at the local level. Therefore, a VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: AndrewAndrew Lyons,Lyons, GroupGroup 7 team of 12 Volunteers and 13 Lithuanian SSEDED PPCV,CV, inin Pakruojis.Pakruojis. counterparts, working with the Ministry of The Pakruojis Regional Council together with Andrew Education and Science, wrote Essential Lyons and two other international organizations, English, consisting of a teacher’s book, United Methodist Churches (USA) and Initiative (UK), student’s workbook, and a cassette to organized a day-long seminar on sustainable community prepare students for the 12th form exam. development. Fifty-four people attended the seminar, This was published in 1997 and is including local inhabitants and people from elsewhere widely used in Lithuanian schools. It was in rural Lithuania. a useful tool in the effort to standardize the national 12th form English exam. First and foremost, the seminar provided an opportunity for representatives of rural areas from various regions of Lithuania to discuss common problems. Contact Another updated Volunteer-produced information was distributed to all participants to facilitate resource designed for student preparation future collaboration. Secondly, specific targets were set for the Final English exam was the book for the Pakruojis community to follow up on the work A Prep Course for the 12th Form English begun in the seminar. Finally, other initiatives sprouted Exam corresponding to the national from the Pakruojis event. With assistance from some of curriculum in 2000. It provided teachers the seminar facilitators, a cross-border rural development with a wealth and diversity of original cooperation was started between the Jurbarkas Region and non-original (fully referenced) in Lithuania and Kaliningrad Region in Russia. The local government of Këdainiai, also supported by a Peace activities and materials in the form of Corps Volunteer, has expressed interest in starting such 80 lesson plans addressing the 14 an initiative as well. English examination topics. The books were distributed to Volunteers and their counterparts free of charge.

In order to meet the need for Business English materials in the country, three Business English Volunteers developed a Teacher’s Book, a Textbook and a Supplement Textbook on teaching Business English, Where There Is No Textbook, published in 1996, which has been widely used in secondary and tertiary level schools and in universities. In addition, Volunteers who taught

22 Lithuania

Business English in colleges and universities have prepared and left with their schools a variety of Business English teaching curricula, lesson plans and classroom materials depending on the schools’ specialization: office and business administration, law, medical English, hotel, tourism and sports management, computer automation, and graphic design.

By acquiring Peace Corps Small Project Assistance, EBDP, and other international and local funds, Education Volunteers have opened Language Resource Centers in Kaunas, Panevëþys, Jurbarkas and Alytus that are accessible to not only students and teachers but other community members as well. Resource Centers possess books, magazines, newspapers, file cabinets filled with lesson VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: RyanRyan Campbell,Campbell, GroupGroup 7 SEDSED PCV,PCV, ideas, plans and curricula, iinn Jurbarkas.Jurbarkas. access to Internet, audio-visual The first step in pursuing the Jurbarkas region’s business equipment, VCRs and other development strategy to help existing local businesses expand materials. was the founding of a regional business information and support center (BIC). For a year Ryan worked with two local business SSmallm a l l EnterpriseE n t e r p r i s e leaders and the local government representative planning the DDevelopmente v e l o p m e n t BIC project, measuring the business community’s support for the initiative, and preparing the BIC by-laws. For the SED project, the initial At the end of 10 months the BIC initiative group had expanded to goal was to reach 11,700 include 13 local businesspersons. Local government also joined entrepreneurs. In fact, the Peace the partnership, allocating almost $15,000 from its Privatization Corps SED/NGO project Fund to finance the BIC start-up costs. assisted 10,599 entrepreneurs gain skills in basic business The Jurbarkas Business Center was registered as a non-government practices, helped 768 people organization, governed by a board of directors made up of local in business centers, NGOs and business owners and government officials. The Center’s founding Regional Governments build brought two new young faces to the project, a center director their organizational capacity and a financial controller. For five months they worked with Ryan to establish the business center’s organizational structure, mission and trained 3,074 students and statement, one-year operating strategy, marketing strategy, and 69 teachers in business-related core products and services. subjects. The long-term goals of the SED/NGO Project were Through its first nine months of existence, the Jurbarkas Business achieved by a wide range of Center assisted over one hundred local businesses and established Volunteer and community-initiated a steady base of clients who used the center’s services regularly. activities and projects. The business center initiative caught the attention of the Lithuanian Ministry of Economy as well. Impressed by the project’s initial SED/NGO Volunteers were success, the Ministry provided the center with $11,000 for capital purchases such as conference equipment and computer assigned to a variety of business workstations. The Ministry also offered long-term assistance by centers and to NGOs including becoming a shareholder in the organization. the Volunteer Center in Vilnius. Business Advisors spent a majority The project showed that businesses and the municipal government of their time consulting with could achieve concrete objectives toward solving the region’s individual entrepreneurs on basic problems by listening to each other. business practices. They also organized and taught courses on business-related themes, promoted networking among regional organizations and businesses, and disseminated information through regular radio shows and newspaper articles.

A very successful project initiated by two Volunteers in 1994, and continued by their successors later in 1997 and 1999, was a training series for employees from Regional Labor Exchanges all over Lithuania to be able to teach feasibility studies and business planning basics to unemployed people who applied for Labor Exchange loans. The Training of Trainers for Labor Exchange employees was conducted as well. Over 160 employees of regional Labor Exchanges were trained to be business consultants to unemployed clients. In addition, an electronic Trainer’s manual was developed and published for this program (2000 copies in Lithuanian, 500 in English) and given to each regional Labor Exchange office. The training programs were sponsored by SPA and EBDP grants, as well as by the Labor Exchange that took full sponsorship

23 Lithuania

for advanced business training in 2000 with the help of PCVs and Lithuanians as session designers and facilitators.

Many Volunteers worked on development of promotional materials about Lithuania. These included “Official Vilnius,” “Lithuanian Banks,” “Litcom’95,” “State Higher Education and Research Institutions,” “Lithuania Business in Review,” “Foreign Aid Guide,” “Come to Lithuania,” “Lithuanian Agriculture Export Catalog,” “Accommodation Guide for Lithuania,” “Panevëþys: A Newcomer’s Guide,” “Ðiauliai at Your Fingertips,” “City Map of Ukmergë,” “Radviliðkis Region Information Guide,” and “Prienai Tourism Brochure,” “Birþai Tourism Guide,” “A Visitors Guide for VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: MichaelMichael Romano,Romano, GroupGroup 6 SEDSED the Birþai Museum,” “Jurbarkas PPCV,CV, inin Kaunas.Kaunas. Region Tourism and Business Guide.” Michael was assigned to the Business Training Center of Kaunas University of Technology and assisted in organizing winter and summer Business English Camps in Palanga. The Business English Also, the Lithuanian Development Camp was a week-long managerial training program designed Agency for Small and Medium as a conversational English workshop on business-related subjects. Sized Enterprises (SMEDA), The program provided broad coverage, but the emphasis was together with Peace Corps on conversation and learning business-related vocabulary. The SED Volunteers assigned to the course subjects, such as business correspondence, negotiations, Business Advisory Centers (BAC) corporate culture, and many others, were used as the vehicles for worked together on preparing conveying the information. The camp’s curriculum and schedule materials for the National were designed to meet the needs of business executives desiring a crash course in conversational Business English. Beginning in Reference Book (“Basics for 1998, SED/NGO Peace Corps Volunteers worked at the camp Business”), containing information and became the primary source of camp instructors. One hundred on 30 essential topics which twenty business people participated in the camps, organized in cover a range from company 1998-1999, and 14 PCVs served as instructors. formation, business registration, taxation to privatization. Moreover, Volunteers have developed dictionaries: one of over 3000 words that are cognates in English and Lithuanian, and one American slang dictionary.

Finally, PCVs, together with the Director of the Volunteer Center in Vilnius, wrote and published the book How to be an Effective Volunteer in English and Lithuanian.

The Peace Corps SED Project has worked closely with Junior Achievement and was an excellent example of a very valuable and successful organizational cooperation. Junior Achievement has benefited from having five Volunteers with different educational and professional backgrounds assigned to the JA office in Vilnius in 1994-1998. Other Volunteers taught an Applied Economics Course from the Junior Achievement Program to students and teachers in secondary schools of Lithuania, as well as participated in “student companies” and in the “Global Learning of the Business Enterprise” (GLOBE) program. PCVs have assisted in organizing a Summer Economic Forum, Economic Olympics and JA Summer Camps attended by JA students. PCVs assigned to the Junior Achievement in Vilnius assisted the National Office in staff training, revising their publications, preparing promotional materials, fund raising, planning, preparing and implementing the JA booth at the first NGO Fair in Lithuania, and co-organized the European Macro Economic Simulation Exercise Language and Business Information Center opening in Prienai, 1997 (EUROMESE) competition.

24 Lithuania

PCVs participated in setting up several Business Advisory and NGO Centers. These included Jurbarkas, Prienai, Kaunas Business and Ukmergë NGO Information Centers, Alytus Business Incubator, Ignalina Regional Youth and Non-Traditional Agriculture Information and Training Centers, Marijampolë Business Information Center (within the Marijampolë Branch of Kaunas Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts), the International School of Management in Kaunas, and Alytus Business College Book Store. Furthermore, Volunteers assisted organizations in training their employees in building organizational capacity, in planning their time, activities, fundraising and in developing grant proposals. They helped develop techniques for work with clients and foreign and local partners, and to develop the management capacity of their boards of directors. Good examples of activities initiated or supported by Volunteers were: Lithuanian NGO Fair Forum in Vilnius with 70 NGOs represented; Annual Special Olympic Games, and a Very Special Arts and Athletic Festival in Lithuania with the participation of 1000 physically and 600 mentally handicapped athletes; Ðiauliai Campus Career Day that brought about 80 students and 7 businesses together; the 5th Annual NGO Forum; Student Rotary Exchange Program and many others.

Administration

The Peace Corps program in Lithuania was administered from a central office in Riga and the satellite office in Vilnius. The Vilnius office was opened in late 1992 and had two program assistants, English Education (TEFL) and Small Enterprise Development (SED), on staff. In 1994 the office expanded with the addition of a Resource Center Manager, a Medical Officer and an Office Manager. A Lithuanian Language Coordinator, working part-time since 1992, became a full-time employee at the beginning of 1995.

At the completion of the Peace Corps’ mission in the country, the Peace Corps Resource Center materials were distributed to six organizations and agencies including the Educational Centers in Pakruojis and Telðiai, A. Mickevièius Library, the NGO Information and Support Center, the Lithuanian Development Agency for Small and Medium Size Enterprise, and the Lithuanian Language Studies’ Center in Vilnius.

Immeasurable Accomplishments

For many Lithuanians as well as the Americans, this was the first opportunity for sustained contact with people who were culturally different. In both cases, the participants learned how to speak another language, gained tolerance for different viewpoints, overcame these differences, and made deep and abiding friendships. In fact, in Lithuania there were 21 marriages between Volunteers and Lithuanians. They hold the Baltic Peace Corps record for marriages.

Skills transferred, new viewpoints considered; these are the gifts that the Lithuanians and Americans gave and received in equal measure. They will never be enumerated, and they will never stop producing results.

25 THE UNITED STATES PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER SITES IN LATVIA IN 1992-2002 Latvia

Latvia

Program Development

Latvia regained its independence in 1991. The separation from the former Soviet Union dictated dramatic change, including the mandate to redirect Latvia’s planned economy to one based on a free market model. The Government of Latvia started the process of privatizing publicly–owned businesses and farms. Despite consensus on the need to proceed, there was concern that the reforms would adversely affect rural Latvia’s agricultural production and, subsequently, the standard of living due to a loss of jobs and a decline in rural income. Therefore, the Government of Latvia embraced a policy to support agricultural advisory services providing technical and business advice to newly privatized farmers to help them make the transition. It invited the Peace Corps to assist AAdministrativedministrative TimelineTimeline Latvian farmers by offering basic business, accounting and management Country Agreement signed February 6, 1992 by skills necessary to participate in a profit US Vice President Dan Quayle and Ivars Godmanis, oriented, market driven economy. Prime Minister.

The Government also realized the Riga Peace Corps office opened in March 1992. nationwide necessity of fluency in First Volunteers arrive in June 1992. the English language in order for

Latvians to take advantage of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Dainis expanded opportunities to participate Ìçìers, Minister of Agriculture, and Dagnija in international research and education, Kreslins, Peace Corps Country Director, April 2, and to set up the cooperative 1993. relationships with other nations willing to aid in the transition process. The Memorandum of Understanding signed by Andris Government was not able to meet the Piebalgs, Minister of Education, and Dagnija expanded demand for English language Kreslins, Peace Corps Country Director, April 5, 1993. education at the primary and secondary school levels and requested assistance New Memorandum of Understanding signed with from the Peace Corps. Local Government Administration Department, by Ernests Jurkâns, Minister of Special Assignments, A Country Agreement between the Local Government Affairs, and Ed Block, Peace United States and the Republic of Latvia Corps Country Director, July 10, 1996. SED focus was signed by US Vice President Dan on agribusiness dropped. Quayle and Prime Minister of Latvia Ivars Godmanis on February 6, 1992. NGO component added to SED Project, 1997.

Two projects, English Education and Peace Corps closed Latvian office, August 30, Rural Enterprise Development, were 2002. launched in July that year when the first group of Volunteer English teachers and Agribusiness advisors arrived in country.

As the first Agribusiness Advisors took up their assignments in 1992, it became apparent that the original assumptions regarding reform of the agricultural sector were overly optimistic, and by 1996 the Peace Corps shifted its emphasis away from agribusiness to concentrate on the promotion of rural enterprises in general.

As originally planned, the project was to assist in the development of the agricultural sector of the Latvian economy. Two new institutions were established and the Peace Corps was involved with both from 1992-1995. One was the Latvia Agricultural Advisory Service (LAAS) that served to provide technical assistance to Latvian farmers and was responsible to the Latvia Agricultural Ministry. The other was the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) of Latvia that received funding from the World Bank and was established as a relatively low cost source of credit to Latvian farmers. Both institutions had a central office and field offices in rural Latvia.

27 Latvia

However, there was scant demand for the Volunteers’ services in the field. Two principal problems were encountered. First, the agricultural sector proved more difficult to privatize than anticipated. In addition to disagreement on agricultural policy, there were complexities of land tenure, including restoring land to registered owners prior to 1940, absentee owners, and the length of time needed to establish title. Also, some of the land was given to laborers who had worked on the state farms, but who may not have had any desire to be a private farmer. Many of the parcels were small with poor profitability prospects. As a result, there was weak demand for agricultural credit or for advisors to help create sound agribusiness practices.

A second issue revolved around a basic misunderstanding between the Peace Corps and some Latvian officials of what kind of assistance the Peace Corps Volunteers could provide. There was an assumption on the part of some that the Volunteers would be highly trained agricultural Visiting a farm during the Pre-Service Training in summer of 1993 technicians who would reform agricultural production, that is, recommend new cropping systems, demonstrate better farming practices, etc. In fact, the Volunteers were business advisors with qualifications in agricultural economics, accounting, marketing, or other business-related skills. They were not the agricultural technicians some officials expected to see. There was disappointment on both Latvian and American sides.

However, there were other people in rural communities interested in establishing their own businesses unrelated to agriculture. In the absence of other demand, Volunteers started working with these potential entrepreneurs, and they associated themselves with local governments and business centers that provided advisory services to this new class of private entrepreneur.

Therefore, a new project design and new working relationships were necessary to reflect the reality in the field. The Peace Corps decided to postpone the request for additional SED Trainees in 1996 until a stronger relationship could be established with the appropriate Ministry and until project goals could be agreed upon at the national level. Thus, there were no Group 5 Rural Enterprise Development Volunteers entering the program in 1996.

A new Memorandum of Understanding was signed in July 1996 with the Local Government Administration Department. The name of the project became Small Enterprise Development (SED). The project also related informally to the Ministry of Environment and Regional Development that consulted in placement of Volunteers. New goals were established, along with Volunteers’ roles and tasks in their new assignments in the municipalities. The project focus shifted to commercial businesses, with Volunteers placed in advisory agencies for small and medium—sized business development and regional economic planning offices in local and regional governments.

By 1995, there was a growing community of Non-Governmental Organizations springing up as Latvians organized themselves privately to work for the welfare of their communities in the absence of the “social safety net” formerly provided by the State. The international community, in the form of the SOROS Open Society Fund, USAID, and the EU PHARE program, among others, were willing to fund the emerging civil society structures. However, the NGOs had no experience in organizational governance, project design, proposal writing, or accounting for expenditures in

28 Latvia a manner required by outside donors. Volunteers in rural communities were asked to assist such organizations. Placement of Volunteers to NGOs increased and the Peace Corps NGO program was formally implemented in 1997 with the aim of helping improve organizational capacity and self-sufficiency in Latvian NGOs. The SED Volunteers became the SED/NGO Volunteers.

The demand for English education remained high during the 10 years of the TEFL Project. The Project was modified to reflect the changing needs of a rapidly developing Latvia. The TEFL teachers were asked to include lower Forms in secondary schools and to teach Business English in post-secondary institutions. In addition, Volunteers were assigned to Teacher Training institutes.

Volunteer Assignments

PPrimaryr i m a r y AssignmentsA s s i g n m e n t s Volunteers all had a primary assignment to a school or an agency that had requested their services. The Peace Corps, as a matter of policy, assigned Volunteers to as wide an area of Latvia as possible. Peace Corps Volunteers served in 67 towns and in 164 organizations in Latvia. This included secondary schools, gymnasiums, universities, colleges, educational institutions, NGOs, business advisory agencies, tourist information centers, agriculture consultation bureaus and credit offices, city, local and regional governments. Volunteers were replaced in successive years in some VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: RandyRandy Scheid,Scheid, GroupGroup 7 TEFLTEFL organizations due to continuing or PPCV,CV, inin Roja.Roja. newly created projects that needed PCV involvement, or because they Randy, together with the Junior Achievement (JA) Project were umbrella organizations in which Director in Latvia, Kristîne Grauziòa, organized the JA PCVs served a large client base and International Summer Camp. The camp lasted six days, and took place in Apðuciems, a nearby community. Nine assisted other PCVs in the country. countries were represented by the 53 JA students and 13 Volunteers worked in all counties of faculty members. The aims of the Summer Camp were Latvia. Of the 67 different Volunteer to foster greater future cooperation among participating sites, 67% had a population of less countries, to encourage entrepreneurial skills in young than 20,000 residents. people by requiring them to analyze current socio-economic phenomena occurring in member countries. The first group of 24 Peace Corps Trainees came in June of 1992 Students were required to compile social and economic and went through the intensive 11- information about their respective countries, and formulate prospective solutions to contemporary national problems. week Pre-Service training program. These proposed solutions, as well as the socio-economic That year 14 TEFL and seven analysis, were presented by the “country groups” to the SED Volunteers were sworn in to JA assembly. Effective transference of presentation skills serve in the country for two years. to the students took place, as the students were provided Each subsequent year a group of with techniques they used to present their “country group” Volunteers joined the Peace Corps’ materials and work. Throughout the duration of the camp, in-country family, except for the SED opportunities for the students to practice the techniques were Volunteers in 1996, as mentioned provided. above. In all, nine groups, totaling 192 Volunteers, were sworn in following their Pre-Service Training. Additionally, six Volunteers transferred from the Peace Corps’ program in Russia in August 2001, bringing the total to 198. This was the largest number of Volunteers in the three Baltic countries. A total of 57 SED, 14 NGO, 101 TEFL, 18 Business English, and eight Teacher Trainers served in Latvia.

SSecondarye c o n d a r y ProjectsP r o j e c t s Volunteers are expected to be “on duty” 24 hours a day, seven days a week while in the Peace Corps. Without the normal distractions of home and family, they are able to devote 100% of their energy and attention to their service. In addition to their primary job as a teacher or business advisor, Volunteers all carried out multiple secondary projects. These projects grew out of the Volunteer’s own interest and the needs of the community in which he/she lived. These secondary projects had an impact as great as the work done in the primary assignment, and this report

29 Latvia

cannot do justice to their breadth and accomplishments.

One day each week was an “outreach day.” Negotiated in advance with their site supervisor, the Volunteers were able to work with other members of the community, whether it was another school or organization, an adult English class, an environmental clean-up project, or working with other Volunteers on Camp A.I.M. (Attitude, Integrity, Motivation): a leadership camp national-level projects for girls in Bernâti, Liepâja Region, 2000 such as youth summer camps. In the secondary projects, the distinction between TEFL and SED/ NGO Volunteers became blurred, and virtually all SED/NGO Volunteers taught English classes formally or informally, and almost all TEFL Volunteers assisted businesses and NGOs with their activities, such as helping write project proposals, brochures, and other documents that needed to be done in English. Many, if not all, Volunteers helped their agency and other community members acquire computer skills ranging from learning how VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: KellyKelly Shannon,Shannon, GroupGroup 6 TEFLTEFL PCV,PCV, to type to the construction of iinn Smiltene.Smiltene. sophisticated web sites. In discussions with her students, Kelly noticed that many of her students were lacking accurate information concerning health Volunteers paid consistent education and healthy lifestyle options. When she discussed those attention in their secondary issues with her co-teachers they confirmed that the information projects to youth development that was available to students was inadequate, outdated, or non- and inter-regional networking confidential. Also, the statistics showed that the number of youth-at among teachers, business -risk in town was increasing. professionals as well as youth. They organized and managed With her co-teachers and interested students, Kelly addressed this a series of summer camps for issue by creating a Youth Information Center (YIC) in Smiltene. Latvian professionals and students The center would address the above problems by obtaining education materials about health, education and healthy lifestyles; that provided an intensive week- by training students to counsel their peers in finding information; long training opportunity dealing by creating an accessible location for students to look for with raising the aspirations of information; and by actively engaging students in educational young people, acquiring new activities and seminars. teaching techniques, deepening business skills, or exploring After attending a PDM workshop Kelly and her co-teacher wrote a contemporary issues such as project and also looked for additional funding from Peace Corps human rights and environmental SPA program to support the project. The school staff and students protection. Some of the youth themselves were actively involved in the creation of the Center. About ten students were trained as resource center managers and camps were devoted to were able to locate information via the Internet and network with developing English skills, and all other centers and organizations throughout Latvia. The students of the camps were conducted in also received training in peer-counseling techniques. English giving the participants The Center is successfully operating in Smiltene and it is expected an intensive experience in using to make a positive impact on more than 200 students between spoken English. The youth camps, the ages of 13-18 each year. especially, concentrated on Latvian integration issues, always including participants of both Latvian and Russian heritage. Issues of Gender and Development provided another theme for secondary projects in which the leadership and business skills of women and girls were the focus.

30 Latvia

Matters of public health were also of concern to Volunteers who worked creatively to enhance awareness of HIV/AIDS, drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual health.

VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: ChristinaChristina Deady,Deady, GroupGroup 7 NGONGO PCV,PCV, inin Kalçti.Kalçti.

“Dunika Community Education Network.” This SPA-funded activity was started by PCV Chris Deady and two Dunika community leaders. Dunika is a small rural community of 900 inhabitants where 82% of the eligible work force was unemployed. This project was a continuation of a three-month business seminar series on how to start and operate a small business that was presented by Chris Deady. The purpose of this activity was to diminish fear and the lack of understanding of the new economy. Creating jobs by starting or expanding businesses was also anticipated.

Nineteen Dunika residents who participated in the previous business seminars carried out the business training. This project activity presented a successful example of how continuing business training could be implemented by the local residents while a PCV was still at site. The local seminar leaders built upon the knowledge they gathered in the training, learned more in depth about selected topics (each local trainer researched the selected topic by him/herself) and led the business courses themselves both in Dunika and in the eight neighboring communities.

The topics presented were: how to generate business ideas; feasibility study; introduction to preparing a business plan; financial aspects of the business plan; how to get money; presenting yourself and your business; marketing; customer service; record-keeping and budgeting for better decision-making, and tax and legal matters. A total of 120 participants increased their knowledge not only in business skills and practices but also in research, presentation skills, and the participants also increased their self- confidence. The activity built on rural people’s hope through observing their fellow community members becoming more active, and developing optimism that business development can happen in economically undeveloped and depressed areas.

The summer camps and other special projects completed as part of the primary assignment or a secondary activity usually required external funding. Volunteers and their counterparts were able to attract funds from a variety of sources. Two funds that were made available to Volunteers’ projects from USAID were the Small Project Assistance (SPA) and the European Business Development Fund (EBDP). From these two sources alone, almost $443,000 was generated as grants supplemented by local material and cash contributions.

Major Accomplishments

The Peace Corps program has been a skills transfer program, and Volunteers in all project sectors were teachers of a sort, no matter which project they were assigned to. They created a huge body of teaching material, curricula, lesson plans, active learning methods, audio/visual aids, and they wrote textbooks that have been published by the educational press. They created educational Resource Centers, Business Centers, Community Centers, and created guides to funding sources, and business plan formats. They have introduced the concept of networking. They have taught the basics of project design and management and methods of fundraising that have brought millions of dollars of funding for Latvian community projects.

Pre-Service training: Model School Closure in Lielvârde, 1994

31 Latvia

EEnglishn g l i s h EducationE d u c a t i o n

Originally, the purpose of the English Education Project was to improve the English language proficiency of Latvian students in Forms 10-12 so that they may more easily access further English-medium education from which they were isolated during the past fifty years in all fields of knowledge. However, as the transition progressed, VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: KatherineKatherine Aylward,Aylward, GroupGroup 8 TEFLTEFL PCV,PCV, inin schools lost many of their RRagana.agana. English teachers to the more Katie was assigned to teach in Krimulda Secondary School in Ragana, lucrative private sector. At a village of 1,200 people. During her volunteer service Katie instructed the same time, the demand over 140 high-school students with various levels. for English instruction was felt at all levels of society. Apart from being an inspired English teacher, she also organized the Peace Corps teachers were school’s Foreign Language Resource Room. In cooperation with Lynn asked to teach in the lower Mellor, another Group 8 Volunteer, she wrote a textbook for English levels of secondary schools, teachers interested in nurturing students’ critical-thinking and social skills as well as to offer Business as there was a definite luck of such materials in Latvia. The book was English in post-secondary printed by a local printing house and used by local English teachers. institutions, and to train Step-by-step Katie became very integrated in her small community and other English teachers. was very successful with her secondary projects. Advising a local health education NGO at her site, she helped win international grants totaling Since 1992, 127 PCVs, over $30,000. She was a key contributor to the 9-member NGO of whom 18 were Business team, which organized teacher training and youth-leadership seminars English teachers and eight for 45 local participants, constructed a regional health education center teacher trainers, have taught serving 100 schools, and recruited 4 volunteers. English in 77 secondary schools and gymnasiums, As a result of a Peace Corps 40th Anniversary celebration planning meeting, Katie, together with Eva Hall, a Group 8 SED/NGO Volunteer, nine universities, academies and in cooperation with the Latvia Volunteer Movement, organized a and institutes, four colleges walkathon to celebrate and raise awareness of volunteerism in Latvia. and tertiary level schools Over 100 people participated in this first such event. as well as two educational institutions. Volunteers worked with 21,742 students from Forms 2-12 as well as with 2,721 teachers and 2,788 adult learners. About 225 educational institutions in Latvia have benefited from Volunteer-produced resources or books and additional materials acquired for daily use.

Volunteers increased English Language resources in their schools by developing lesson plans, curricula, additional teaching materials, tests and examinations, recorded tapes, games and puzzles. For example, a TEFL Resource Guide was developed by a Volunteer and made available to all PCVs and their counterparts at schools where PCVs teach. Also, a joint PCV and counterpart Theme- Based 4MAT Lesson Plan Book was distributed after one of the Peace Corps conferences to more than 24 schools. The book contained complete lesson plans to teach theme-based units at the upper secondary school level. Furthermore, a Volunteer completed a 17-page Guitar Technique Latvia Debate Summer Camp in Bernâti, Liepâja Region, 1995

32 Latvia

handbook in Latvian/ VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: KatherineKatherine Johnson,Johnson, GroupGroup 2 TEFLTEFL PCV,PCV, inin English to distribute to music LLiepâjaiepâja andand AlisonAlison Boak,Boak, GroupGroup 3 TEFLTEFL PCV,PCV, inin Ogre.Ogre. students. The handbook contained music theory as When PCVs started to work with Latvian students they discovered that it was very difficult to make students speak. PCV Katherine Johnson, well as blues/jazz/rock with the help and support of the SOROS Foundation, started a Debate cultural knowledge of the Program in Latvia and trained teachers and students in her town about United States. Another debating. The program obtained much support and interest from local Volunteer developed a Basic teachers and students in all of Latvia and spread also to Lithuania. Business English textbook, After Katherine left, PCV Alison Boak, together with local teachers, a one-semester guide for continued coordination of the program and expanded it to another teaching Basic English in region. They trained local teachers and Volunteers in debate structure, a business context. The judging, and organized debate tournaments throughout the year. The book included a syllabus, teachers, together with the best students, participated in International Debate Tournaments in Eastern Europe. In addition, Volunteers lesson plans, activities, developed contacts with other countries in Eastern Europe and helped quizzes, tests, homework to facilitate training programs for other teachers in other countries. All assignments and other English teachers involved in the program agreed that the students had supplementary materials. developed critical thinking skills and had received new motivation for Moreover, Volunteers their English language learning. developed courses on teaching American Literature Through debates, discussions and individual student research projects, in the secondary school, students taught by PCVs had demonstrated increased confidence in teaching Spanish as well discussing issues related to AIDS awareness, alcoholism, smoking, health promotion, drug abuse, safe sex, the environment, gender as edited an exercise book issues, the problems of youth, diversity and minorities. They also gained for primary school English tolerance towards different cultures. students.

All of this material, some of it unique, has been systematized and left at the Volunteers’ schools for other teachers to use as they wish. The best of the material has been placed on a CD-ROM that has been distributed to schools throughout Latvia.

Volunteers worked on larger material development projects VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: MelissaMelissa Jillson,Jillson, GroupGroup 6 TEFLTEFL PCV,PCV, in order to meet the need of iinn Jçkabpils.Jçkabpils. new locally available English During her first semester of teaching, Melissa convened an teaching materials. For example, informal meeting of English teachers where they could speak more than 2000 copies of a about themselves and their community in English through an 119-page English Reader “Of open dialogue. Through the course of these gatherings, Melissa Latvia and Other Places” were listened to the teachers when they noted that most materials and distributed throughout Latvia. resources for English teachers are located in the capital city. The Many local English teachers and teachers observed that for most teachers in the region access and Volunteers worked on this project travel to obtain these resources was very difficult. With Melissa by submitting reading materials. facilitating the discussion, the teachers concluded that it would be more efficient to create their own local resource center. The same Volunteers produced and published at a non-profit The Center was developed by three local teachers from different educational press a 64-page schools and Melissa, who encouraged their participation in Teacher’s Manual, “Ideas that a Project Design and Management Conference. After the Work”, that was also distributed conference, the project leaders began recruiting teachers to to schools in Latvia. participate in seminars and in identifying useful resources. Networking and seminar development were the initial objectives, Six Volunteers from Group 5 and the establishment of the physical resource center came later. (1996) worked cooperatively to The first seminar occurred in May, 1998, and the summer was spent developing resources. Seminars were developed in develop a listening cassette for conjunction with the British Council, and a seminar teaching preparation of students for the computer skills to English teachers was also completed. The most 12th Form Exam. This listening significant outcome of this process was the growing confidence cassette included 14 separate that organizing these resources gave the teachers, all women. theme-based dialogues spoken Initially, they expressed great reservation and nervousness, but by the PCVs. The cassette and later they felt confident about developing projects on their own.

33 Latvia

accompanying materials were received by the Latvian Association of the Teachers of English, to be included in their resource center, available for copying, and accessible to the nationwide membership of the Association.

The resources and materials obtained and produced by Volunteers helped teachers and students improve their language learning and teaching. This was particularly important in the smaller sites where teachers and students had no access to resources that were available in larger towns.

Among the techniques used by Volunteers to develop critical VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: JohnJohn Ross,Ross, GroupGroup 7 SEDSED PCV,PCV, inin thinking skills and to develop VVentspils.entspils. confidence in speaking were “Doing Business in the 21st Century: a Training Forum for debate clubs and student Establishing a Business Association in the Ventspils Region.” This parliaments. In establishing student project was initiated by PCV John Ross and his co-worker from parliaments in their schools, the Ventspils Regional Government, Inese Grigoruka. The goal Volunteers organized seminars for was to establish a sustainable Business Club and to compile the participants from the schools and publish a Business-to-Business Directory. According to the who were interested in setting up expressed interest and appreciation shown by the participants, student governments. They secured local business leaders, government officials and the staff and funding and coordinated student students from the Ventspils College and Rîga Technical College, leadership courses. Each year this was a very successful project. more and more schools in Latvia A total of 33 men and women business leaders and government started to introduce this form of officials from Ventspils and surrounding communities attended student involvement into school interactive business seminars presented by PCVs John Ross, life and group decision-making David Kreichelt, and Randy Scheid, and Ventspils Regional processes. As a result, ten student Government specialists. The sessions included: keys for parliaments in eight regions in conducting profitable business in the 21st century; essentials Latvia were established. of marketing; bringing business ideas to reality; professional business expectations; networking and economic cooperation. By acquiring Peace Corps Small Theoretical training sessions were combined with practical activities in the fundamentals of business and marketing. Project Assistance and other international and local funds, After completing training, the Ventspils Regional Business Education Volunteers opened Association “Bruìis” was established and registered in order to Language Resource Centers in demonstrate the society’s positive outlook towards entrepreneurs Rçzekne University, Higher School and entrepreneurship. The Business Association will continue for Social Work in Rîga, Latvian to coordinate future activities and resources for business Maritime Academy and Jçkabpils development. The members of the Association are supporting Gymnasium that were accessible one another in all regional business activities by combining their to not only students and teachers business efforts. The Business-to-Business Directory, containing 60 business contacts with business descriptions, was compiled, but other community members as published and distributed to the members of the Association. well. Resource Centers possessed The Directory will serve as a reference source for business books, magazines, newspapers, networking. file cabinets with lesson ideas, plans and curricula, computers with access to Internet, audio-visual equipment, VCRs and other materials. Furthermore, Volunteers assisted schools and received funds from the SOROS Foundation to buy computers for the schools.

SSmallm a l l Enterprise/NGOE n t e r p r i s e / N G O DevelopmentD e v e l o p m e n t

When the project was launched in 1992, its purpose was to build small enterprise capacity in Latvia’s rural areas by providing newly privatized farmers with access to those business skills necessary to profitably function in a free market economy. This did not prove feasible due to the reasons mentioned above, and by 1996 the project had been reoriented to serve small enterprise development in general, with a focus on rural communities.

During the period from 1992 until 2002, the SED/NGO project supported 32 communities in Latvia by bringing 57 SED and 14 NGO Volunteers. The SED/NGO Peace Corps Volunteers were assigned to sixteen regional and city governments, two municipalities, five enterprise support

34 Latvia centers, one local government, eleven agriculture consultation bureaus, four agriculture credit offices, two adult education centers, nine NGO support centers, ten other NGOs, and finally to the Latvian Tourism Board and EU PHARE. This allowed the Project to be flexible in matching Volunteers with the sites as well as maximize the use of their particular backgrounds.

The Peace Corps SED/NGO project assisted 1,382 newly privatized Latvian farmers and 4,673 entrepreneurs in gaining basic business practices and skills in locating and taking advantage of profitable points of supply and markets. The project also assisted 784 NGOs in development of organizational capacity, increased self-sufficiency, long range planning and organizational development. As a result, the long-term goals of the SED/NGO Project were achieved by a variety of Volunteer and community initiated activities and projects.

SED/NGO Volunteers spent the majority of their time advising individual entrepreneurs on business practices. They also developed and conducted seminars and workshops for their business and NGO clients designed to enhance their management practices and increase their understanding of the dynamics of a free market economy. They worked with local government officers to help improve municipal planning and management skills, with credit officers to increase their management and computer skills, with the VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: JuliaJulia Harlan,Harlan, GroupGroup 4 SEDSED PCV,PCV, inin tourist industry on ways to VVenstpilsenstpils andand thethe FirstFirst BusinessBusiness IncubatorIncubator inin Latvia.Latvia. promote tourism in Latvia, with farmers in building their business Although Julia’s site was in another city, she commuted the capacity, and with NGOs in 100 km distance to Liepâja frequently. She assisted the Liepâja fundraising and board of directors Enterprise Support center in opening the Liepâja Business Incubator. The Incubator was the first of its kind in the Baltics development. and provided support to between eight to ten small and medium- seized businesses. They helped create Business Advisory and NGO centers The Peace Corps sponsored a feasibility analysis for the including Enterprise Support Incubator and co-sponsored the Liepâja Enterprise Support Centers in Rîga, Rçzekne, Center Director’s participation in the US National Business Daugavpils, Valmiera, Liepâja, Incubator Association’s; Annual Conference. The feasibility Jçkabpils, Ventspils and Saldus, analysis showed problems (and ways to solve them) in strategic and the Business Information and planning and incubator budgeting. It also provided the need for some local small businesses to work under the incubator’s roof. Coordination Centre in Lîvâni. The Peace Corps’ sponsorship for this project was more than $15,000, including the local costs and the specialist’s expenses In the tourism industry, Volunteers for training and feasibility analysis. contributed to the establishment of networks among members of Julia Harlan assisted the incubator specialist in the subsequent the industry, and cooperative budget revision. For the Liepâja Enterprise Support Center the relationships with regional budget revision was continuous work. It was done on a quarterly and local governments. They basis in order to reach a positive balance. This project reflected helped establish the Talsi Tourism a positive example of how a Volunteer and community groups from the Enterprise Support Center, the City Council and the Information Center with a grant business people worked in a joint team and contributed to a from the EBDP fund; encouraged long term project. the establishment of a Hotel and Tourism Information Center in Mazsalaca; and promoted a project in Preiïi, Dagda, and Krâslava to create common tourist packages and share ideas to improve tourism in the region. Volunteers established contacts with the foreign press to promote tourism in Latvia.

Volunteers created publications to promote tourism and improve the operation of the industry. Included are brochures covering east, west and south Latvia as well as a “Latvia Hotel Guide,” “Latvia Travel Agent’s Manual,” a 20-page “Tourism Marketing Brochure’97.”

Volunteers created a large body of teaching materials in enterprise related subjects, since when the Peace Corps arrived, there was very little published material available to support the new entrepreneurs and NGOs. As part of their work, SED/NGO Volunteers wrote and published

35 Latvia

booklets in Latvian such as: “Guide to Marketing” VVolunteerolunteer inin Development:Development: CreationCreation ofof thethe LudzaLudza FamilyFamily SSupportupport Center:Center: SSallyally Laviolette,Laviolette, GroupGroup 9 SEDSED PCV,PCV, inin “A Farmer’s Guide to Business Decision LLudza.udza. Making” “How to Develop Business Plans” PCV Sally Laviolette, in cooperation with the Red Cross in “Farm Management Guide” Ludza, was a member of her agency team that designed “Credit from a Banker’s Perspective” and submitted a EU PHARE grant proposal to establish “Farm Business Management Education a Family Support Center in Ludza. The proposal was Project” funded and Ludza received 130,000 euros to implement “Investment Guide of Kurzeme and the project. Local cooperative partners in this project Zemgale Regions” include the Town Council, Police Department, Hospital, Children and Youth Center, and Schools who are “Nine Steps – a Short Guide on providing human resources for the project. These human Organizing Charity Events” resources include doctors, psychologists, teachers, social “Funders in Latvia” workers, and a center coordinator who will work with “Proposal Writing Handbook for NGOs” low-income families, street children, orphans, problem children, disabled children, single mothers, large families, Volunteers also developed materials and other marginalized groups of Ludza. and brochures describing economic and/or tourism potential of their cities In the course of putting together this complex project, Sally was able to help the young Center Coordinator and regions such as “Cçsis Regional significantly improve his English skills, customer service, Economic Development Report,” management and organization skills, and professional “Marketing Brochure for Rîga School of confidence. Crafts,” “Kuldîga Tourism Promotion,” a farm marketing brochure for farmers in Bauska, three accounting manuals for the Valmiera UAC, Latvian business managers and accountants as well as city information guides for Ogre, Cçsis and other towns.

A Geographic Information System (GIS) was developed for the Talsi Regional Government to enable staff to better identify and develop resources for Talsi regional economic development planning. Grants were awarded to other Volunteers to increase the resources at the Regional Educational Resource Center and for setting up a resource library at the Rîga Stock Exchange.

VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: ErikErik MMarkovs,arkovs, GGrouproup 8 NGONGO PCV,PCV, inin Alûksne.Alûksne.

Erik was one of the three consultants at the Alûksne NGO Support Center. His professional activities included conducting seminars and workshops for NGOs on such topics as project design and management, board development, financial management and strategic planning. Along with two other Peace Corps Volunteers Erik facilitated 15 project design and management seminars in different Latvian cities reaching a total audience of approximately 450 people. One of his roles was researching international funding opportunities, advising on project funding applications and evaluating individual NGOs. Erik attracted more than $15,000 for the Alûksne NGO Support Center, and indirectly through consulting, helped attract more than $100,000 for NGO clients.

Erik initiated a monthly “INFOpage” that is regularly distributed to more than 60 organizations nationally, including other NGO Support Centers, government institutions, funders and NGO clients. The “INFOpage” includes information on funding and educational opportunities, potential international partners and other NGO related issues.

One of the highlights of Erik’s service was initiating, obtaining funding for and successfully implementing a project to promote the education of officers of 15 rural NGOs. The project was financially supported by the United States Information Service division of the American Embassy and involved six educational sessions, attended by 30 participants each, followed up by a monitoring system to ensure transfer skills.

Another of Erik’s projects focused on economic opportunity for rural women. Together with the Director of Alûksne Small Business Support Center, Erik facilitated six 3-day workshops on customer service skills. The workshop participants were unemployed rural women seeking to educate themselves with the goal of finding gainful employment in the service sector. A total of 120 participants took part in the workshop.

The development of entrepreneurial skills in young people was an important objective for the SED/NGO project. Volunteers worked with the Junior Achievement economics programs and implemented them in many regions of Latvia including Lielvârde, Rçzekne, Ogre, Kuldîga, Jelgava,

36 Latvia

Daugavpils and other smaller regions. Volunteers taught students and trained teachers about the JA programs and teaching methods. They also assisted the JA staff with the translation and distribution of the JA economics teaching computer game MESE (Management and Economics) to 14 secondary schools in Latvia. Moreover, an EBDP-funded project was implemented in Preiïi to provide three regional schools with books and computer materials in English, Latvian and Russian to improve economic knowledge of the students.

NGO development was a particular focus for Volunteers. Among the issues they addressed was fundraising. Volunteers and their counterparts were trained by the Peace Corps in elements of Project Design and Management at workshops offered periodically by Peace Corps staff. Using materials developed by the Peace Corps headquarters and adapted locally for both language and content, these workshops trained groups of Latvians in the art of project design, but also trained them to act as trainers in their own organizations.

Funding is a major priority for NGOs and Volunteers were highly successful in helping them write grant proposals. However, the NGO sector was dependent on foreign funding, and after the early years of the transition, such funding was less available. Volunteers turned their attention to ways that NGOs could gather support from local sources.

As an example, using SPA funds, eight Volunteers and eight NGOs organized a training event for 21 participants from Tukums, Alûksne, Rûjiena, Mazsalaca and Preiïi. Entitled “Charity Event Training: Breaking the Grant Mentality Rules in Rural Latvia,” the training explored ways that NGOs can encourage local philanthropy, stage special events, and attract the interest of Latvian corporate sponsors. The training program culminated in a special fundraising event to which 170 local potential donors were invited to review the displays of materials prepared by the NGOs, including mission statements, products, services, and some items donated for auction. The event raised LVL 2,200 (approximately $3,800) that was divided among the participating NGOs.

Administration

The Peace Corps program was administered from the central office in Riga that was opened in March 1992. The Country Director, Associate Directors for Education, SED Programs and Administration, a Program and Training Officer, Medical Officers as well as Training Coordinators for the three countries worked in the Riga office. Host Country SED and TEFL Program Managers for Latvia were hired in 1993. In 1994 the office expanded by opening a Resource Center to better support Volunteers and meet their technical needs while working in Latvia. A Latvian Language Coordinator, part-time since 1992, became full-time at the beginning of 1995.

At the conclusion of the Peace Corps mission in the country, the Resource Center materials were distributed to seventeen organizations and agencies:

1.The University of Banking 2. The High School of Business and Management 3. The Children’s Environmental School 4. The University of Economics and Culture 5. Selija NGO Center 6. Saldus Regional Council 7. Dobele Adult Education and Information Center 8. The NGO Center 9. The Latvian Academy of Culture 10. The University of Latvia Faculty of Economics 11. The Association of Latvian English as a Second Language Teachers 12. Mazsalaca Resource Center of Teachers of English 13. The Vidzeme University College Library 14. Daugavpils University of Pedagogics 15. The University of Latvia Faculty of Education and Psychology 16. The Liepâja Academy of Pedagogy 17. The Latvian Association of Teachers of English

37 THE UNITED STATES PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER SITES IN ESTONIA IN 1992-2002 Estonia

Estonia

Program Development

Estonia reclaimed its independence in 1991. The country committed itself to the transition from a command economy to a free market system and decentralization of power to the counties. One aspect of this process was the privatization of large state enterprises and farms, something that was likely to result in near-term increased rural unemployment and loss of agricultural productivity. In an effort to address these concerns, Estonia focused on identification of alternative economic strategies in rural development, including entrepreneurial skills development for both commercial and agricultural businesses. The Government of Estonia pledged its support to the local governments’ economic development plans to promote private entrepreneurship. However, the plan to build small enterprise capacity in rural areas was hindered by the lack of business expertise available locally. AAdministrativedministrative TimelineTimeline Moreover, the country wished to regain its place in the Western world, including Country Agreement signed February 6, 1992 by access to business expertise, world US Vice President Dan Quayle and the Head of the markets, science, and technology. Estonian Government, Tiit Vahi. Lack of English language proficiency hampered these endeavors, slowing First Volunteers arrive June, 1992. Estonia’s progress. The country found Tallin Peace Corps office opened late 1992. itself with an overwhelming demand for English language instruction through Memorandum of Understanding between the US all education levels. Therefore, the Peace Corps (Dagnija Kreslins, Country Director), country needed a greater number of and the Estonian Ministry of Culture and Education English language teachers as well as (Paul-Eerik Rummo, Minister) signed April 27, 1993. educational institutions for training new instructors or upgrading skills of currently Memorandum of Understanding between the US serving teachers who were not English Peace Corps (Dagnija Kreslins, Country Director) subject specialists. and the Department of Local Government and Rural Development of Estonia (Rait Roosve, Head of Department) signed on June 14, 1993. A Country Agreement between the United States and Estonia was signed on Responsibility for SED project shifted to the February 6, 1992 by US Vice President Department of Regional Development, Ministry of Dan Quayle and the Head of Estonian Internal Affairs, December 1993. Government, Tiit Vahi. The Peace Corps would assist in developing basic Small Enterprise Development Project modified to business skills necessary to participate in include NGO component, 1997. a market-driven economy and increase Estonian Peace Corps office closed August 30, access to English language instruction in 2002. Estonia.

As in Latvia and Lithuania, the Small Enterprise Development project had a difficult beginning. As originally planned, the project focused on agricultural business advisory assistance. In early 1992 when the Peace Corps programming mission was in Estonia, legislation was in preparation that would have established an agricultural Advisory Service. While the first group of Volunteers was still in Pre-Service Training in the summer of 1992, the Advisory Service was abandoned due to a change in the Government. Thus, when the Volunteers reported to their sites, there was no governmental structure in which to work. An attempt made by the Peace Corps to involve the local government units in the sponsorship of the Volunteers met with some success. However, communication of the purpose and nature of Peace Corps services to the local level had been imperfect, and the lack of understanding of the potential assistance resulted in Volunteers having to identify their own niche in their communities. As in Latvia, there was a widely-held assumption that the Volunteers would be capable of reforming the agricultural production methods of Estonian farms. Much of the initial success of the Volunteers depended on the strength of the local governors to market the special business skills the Volunteers offered.

39 Estonia

In 1992 the Government of Estonia was in the process of re-organizing itself into a democratic structure. Consequently there was a period of frequent administrative changes that affected the Peace Corps. The responsibility for the Peace Corps program shifted among government officials several times, and no one person held the portfolio long enough to deal with the start-up problems being experienced.

While the Volunteers continued to build their own beneficiary pool, their tasks were varied and multi-faceted. The efforts of the Volunteers during the first six months were business-focused, but many of the tasks were those of community development as they conducted needs assessments, identified target markets and attempted to convince local governments to establish short and long- range development assistance for entrepreneurs.

For these reasons the second input of SED Volunteers scheduled for 1993, Group 2, was postponed for one year to establish a stronger base of support and direct agency sponsorship that was finalized nine months after the first Volunteers’ service began. The portfolio was passed from the Department of Local Government and Rural Development to the Department of Regional Development Early Service Conference (ESC) with the US Ambassador Melissa Wells (second from right), 1998 at the Ministry of Internal Affairs in December 1993. From that point, Volunteers were assigned directly to the municipality economic development units and worked toward establishing units of information and business advising within the government unit itself.

One further change in the SED project was implemented as Estonia’s civil society structures took shape. Due to the rapid development of Non-Governmental Organizations in Estonia, the Peace Corps brought in NGO Volunteers in 1997 to support NGO management and development.

Volunteer Assignments

PPrimaryr i m a r y AssignmentsA s s i g n m e n t s Volunteers were requested by an agency or a school and were posted to that agency as their primary assignment. Peace Corps Volunteers served in 64 towns and in 128 organizations in Estonia including secondary schools, universities, educational centers, NGOs, business advisory agencies and tourist information centers as well as city and county governments. Volunteers worked in all 15 counties.

As a matter of policy, the Peace Corps assigned Volunteers to as many communities as possible, stressing service to the smallest towns and villages. Of the 64 towns served, 78% had a population of less than 10,000. Volunteers were replaced in successive years in some organizations due to continuing or newly created projects that needed PCV involvement, or because they were umbrella organizations in which PCVs served the whole sector and assisted other PCVs in the country. In addition, the Peace Corps in Estonia geared its efforts to assist isolated Estonian regions and Russian-speaking areas that had the least access to international resources.

40 Estonia

The first group of 22 Peace Corps trainees came in summer of 1992 and went through the intensive 11-week Pre-Service training program. That year 12 TEFL, and 9 SED Volunteers were sworn in to serve in the country for two years. Each subsequent year a group of new Volunteers joined the Peace Corps family in Estonia. In all, 9 groups totaling 163 worked in Estonia as Volunteers, except, due to the reasons described above, there was no Group 2 SED in the year of 1993. Totally, 40 SED, 15 NGO, 100 TEFL and 8 Teacher Trainers served in Estonia in 1992- 2002.

SSecondarye c o n d a r y ProjectsP r o j e c t s Volunteers are considered to be “on duty” 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except when on their annual leave. Without the responsibilities of home and family, they are able to devote 100% of their time to attaining the three goals of the Peace Corps. In addition to their primary assignment as a teacher or business advisor, all Volunteers carried out secondary projects that usually involved assisting community groups realize their own projects. The Volunteers had an “outreach day,” negotiated in advance with their site supervisor, in which they were able to work with other people in the community. Each Volunteer carried out multiple projects during his/her service whose impact is immeasurable. This report cannot do justice to the variety of secondary projects or their accomplishments.

The lines between TEFL and SED/NGO projects disappeared in these secondary projects and each Volunteer crossed over into activities of the other sector. SED/NGO Volunteers taught Business English in their centers or secondary schools, maintained English clubs or evening English classes in their town for adult learners. TEFL teachers assisted businesses with their English language correspondence, brochures, and other documents. They helped NGOs in their towns design projects and write grant proposals. Virtually all Volunteers taught the use of the computer and the Internet to their colleagues and clients, ranging from basic typing skills to the construction of web sites.

Secondary projects usually fell into the areas of environment, HIV/AIDS awareness, gender and development, sports, and youth-at-risk. They paid most particular attention to youth development as well as inter-regional and international networking and professional development among teachers and other professionals.

Intensive summer camps were organized around a variety of contemporary issues, all conducted in English giving the participants practice using the language for discussion and recreation. They also involved participants of both Estonian and Russian heritage, contributing to a better cultural

VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: GulliverGulliver Branson,Branson, GroupGroup 7 TEFLTEFL inin Rakvere.Rakvere.

Gulliver worked as a teacher trainer/English methodologist at the Rakvere Resource and Teacher Training Center, and taught English to more than 200 students at Rakvere local technical school.

Gulliver displayed a great willingness to work outside his specific field of English language instruction. He helped to organize and plan the annual Vinni Youth Forums of 2000 and 2001 and Kauksi Business English Camp of 2000, serving also as a teacher in these events. These youth camps were both designed to enhance Estonian-Russian integration, promote respect and understanding of multi-culturalism, and address youth concerns, while at the same time helping students attain a higher level of English proficiency. He also obtained over 1500 books from sources inside and outside Estonia, which have been distributed to twelve education centers and school libraries throughout the country.

In an extended third year of service he helped establish the Lääne-Virumaa (West Viru County) Contemporary Information and Technology Center. This is a resource and training center for students, teachers and community members in the use of computers and Information Technology. Gulliver and his colleagues raised approximately $100,000 for this project.

By acquiring Peace Corps Small Project Assistance, EBDP and other international and local funds, Education Volunteers opened Language Resource Centers in Turi, Valga, Rakvere and Laane Viruma County that were accessible to not only students and teachers but other community members as well. Resource Centers possessed books, magazines, newspapers, file cabinets with lesson ideas, plans and curricula, computers with access to Internet, audio-visual equipment, VCRs and other materials.

41 Estonia

understanding between these groups. Three such camps are mentioned here.

The Põlva Democratic Youth Forum and the Vinni Youth Forum, together involving almost 300 young people, were organized in conjunction with other organizations and offered Recycling campaign in Vändra, 1997 students the opportunity to participate in democracy-building activities, take an active role in addressing contemporary issues within their communities, and help create networks to share resources among themselves, teachers and local authorities. The Northeast Estonia Student Business English Camp was a practical business and English language program targeted toward young ethnic Estonian and Russian students in Northern and Eastern Estonia, organized by business and education Volunteers. Each year about 100 students gained knowledge and skills in global business, communication skills, teamwork and the development of friendships between different cultural groups.

Summer camps and special projects in the primary assignment agencies were funded by a variety of international donors, governments and foundations. From SPA and EBDP funds alone, approximately $255,743 was donated to support these activities. European funds and local contributions of time and facilities were also generously provided in support of Volunteer-generated projects.

Major Accomplishments

As a skills–transfer project, all Volunteers were teachers of a sort, no matter their project assignment. They arrived at a time in Estonian history when very few resources existed to support either English instruction or business development. Consequently they created a huge body of educational resources for schools and business centers consisting of curricula, lesson plans, games, puzzles, teacher aids, audio tapes, reading materials, as well as textbooks. Youth Forum in Põlva, 1999

42 Estonia

They helped create resource centers, libraries, business centers, NGO centers and youth centers. They introduced the concept of networking among business professionals, NGOs, teachers, and local governments to enhance knowledge and effectiveness. They encouraged activities of professional development within school faculties and assisted teachers of other languages gain certification to teach English. They taught the principles of project design and management and the art of fundraising. Through their efforts, they have attracted millions of dollars from international donors to support the projects of local Estonian development.

E nnglishg l i s h EEducationd u c a t i o n

Originally the purpose of the English Education Project was to improve the English language proficiency of Estonian students in Forms 10-12 so that they could more easily access further English-medium Project Design and Management (PDM) workshop in Tallinn, 1998 education and information from which they were isolated during the Soviet period. Additionally, it was intended that through the close involvement with English teachers in the schools, the Volunteers would be able to introduce them to modern, communicative methods for the teaching of English.

Since 1992, 108 PCVs, of whom eight were teacher trainers, have taught English in 29 secondary schools and 33 gymnasiums, two basic schools and two colleges, six technical schools as well as a medical school and a teacher training center. Volunteers have worked with 23,842 students from Forms 3-12 as well as with 1,631 teachers and 5,144 adult learners. Usually, VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: DeniseDenise Salas,Salas, Volunteers taught four days a week in their assigned GGrouproup 3 TEFLTEFL PCV,PCV, inin Kuressaare.Kuressaare. schools. One day per week they spent on outreach program activity, either teaching or working on other Denise Salas was the first non-Estonian projects with students, teachers, community members to ever receive the esteemed honor of and in resource development. About 200 educational “Teacher of the Year”. This award was institutions in Estonia have benefited from Volunteer- given to only a handful of teachers throughout the entire nation. Denise produced resources or books and additional materials was teaching on the remote island acquired for daily use through these outreach of Saaremaa which meant she could activities. not always travel and gain access to materials and equipment on the mainland, Volunteers taught 16-22 formal classes per week as others could. Therefore, creativity and and spent after school hours helping students resourcefulness played a vital role in her improve their English language proficiency. Through classroom. Passing on her innovative a variety of active classroom and informal activities skills, Denise organized English clubs, and techniques, students were able to gain greater adult classes, holiday parties, conferences for teachers and worked closely with confidence in using English. a tourist agency, the English Teachers’ Center and British Council. She was even th Of particular concern was preparation for the 12 able to coordinate events on the island Form examination. They organized and conducted that attracted students and teachers from practice and review sessions, research and discussion throughout the rest of Estonia.

43 Estonia

of interview topics, writing practice, reading comprehension exercises, and practice interviews for their students. In addition to the activities for the 12th Form exam, a number of Volunteers were asked to assist students in preparing for the TOEFL exam, an examination needed for entry into universities in many English-speaking countries.

Volunteers enriched the students’ learning experience through contests such as National English Language Competitions and English Olympiads. During these activities students were able to demonstrate their English knowledge and increase their self-confidence. VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: CarleenCarleen Talty,Talty, GroupGroup 6 TEFLTEFL They introduced debate to improve PPCV,CV, inin Kuressaare.Kuressaare. critical thinking skills, as well as drama, student newspapers, Carleen was active in training and sharing materials with English clubs, and a wide variety of different rural schools on her island. In the evenings she extracurricular activities, all designed organized English club activities to help students improve their speaking skills. During the summers she helped to to give practice in spoken English. coordinate English camps for her school while developing Volunteers initiated and organized resource materials for a Russian language school. These various student exchange programs camps have developed into an annual week-long cross- across the Baltics, Eastern Europe cultural event. The camps were also the stimulus for cross- and the United States. For example, cultural exchanges with students from Lithuania and the Volunteers organized a basketball United States. exchange to America that involved thirteen students and two coaches One of the highlights of Carleen’s Peace Corps experience from five schools from Estonia and was the opportunity to introduce her students to different cultural experiences. In December of 1999, she organized America. The exchange progressed a 15-day boys’ basketball exchange with a community in into a yearly event. the United States. The boys’ basketball team from Saaremaa went to North Carolina to compete with American youth Volunteers worked actively with teams and participate in a cultural exchange. The event teachers in their own schools, as was a huge success. Working from this success, Carleen well as in communities and regional organized a girls leadership exchange program with the educational institutions. Volunteers U.S. that was held in summer of 2000. Carleen, working visited other schools in their area and with Rotary International, helped girls from each community delivered “open” lessons for teachers spend a month in each country while participating in leadership development activities. and students. Working together, Volunteers and local teachers learned In June of 2000 her school recognized her efforts by naming by observing each other’s classes and her an honorary alumna of Saaremaa Ühisgümmnasium. providing constructive feedback, a She was the first non-Estonian to be so honored. new concept for many local teachers. Also, Estonian teachers learned new ideas and teaching techniques in a learner-centered approach to teaching that was used by Volunteers. Volunteers also learned from local teachers about grammar teaching methodologies and classroom discipline.

Volunteers were actively involved in the Language Improvement Program in Estonian and Russian- speaking areas that helped teachers improve their English language skills. For example, together with the Pärnu Teacher Training Center, PCVs helped facilitate a Language Improvement Program conference for teachers of English as well as longer courses entitled “Practice Your English”.

Volunteers and their co-workers organized and ran a Professional Development Program (PDP) for certified teachers in their communities such as Tallinn, Kohtla-Järve, Sillamäe and Narva. Volunteers also provided their support in a re-qualification program for Russian language and other subject teachers that enabled a number of these teachers to qualify to teach English in Grades 3-6.

Volunteers participated in the Estonian Association of Teachers of English (EATE) annual and Regional English teachers’ conferences and seminars and gave presentations on cultural, methodological and language issues. They delivered sessions on essay-writing, how to better utilize a native speaker, how to use music, English newspapers and games in the classroom and many other topics.

44 Estonia

Moreover, a number of Volunteers assisted the Estonian Ministry of Education in the grading, testing, interviewer skills transfer and material development of the national 12th Grade English examination. In addition, they assisted the English departments in their schools in designing and implementing profiled English curricula for students.

SSmallm a l l Enterprise/NGOE n t e r p r i s e / N G O DevelopmentD e v e l o p m e n t

The purpose of the project was to build small enterprise capacity in Estonia’s rural areas by providing entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs with access to the business skills necessary to profitably function in a free market economy. The project was part of the Government of Estonia’s wider effort to address the problem of rising unemployment through the promotion of small enterprise development. Consequently, the original goals of the program were to increase the number of rural Estonians skilled in basic business practices including record-keeping, planning, and marketing, as well as business capitalization and identifying sources of needed inputs and potential markets. As the program developed, there was increasing involvement of Peace Corps SED Volunteers in NGO development. In 1997, the Project Plan was modified to include a new goal of building organizational capacity and management in NGOs.

The country has benefited from 40 SED and 15 NGO Volunteers who served in 30 communities in 1992-2002. The SED/NGO Peace Corps Volunteers were assigned to ten county, six parish and seven city governments, ten business services and advisory centers, two regional development centers, Junior Achievement, the Human Rights Institute, a Tourism Information Center and Estonian National Tourism Board, the Baltics Small Equity Fund, and finally to ten NGOs. This allowed the project to be flexible in matching Volunteers with the sites as well as maximize the use of their particular backgrounds.

The Peace Corps SED/NGO project has assisted 6,394 entrepreneurs in gaining basic business practices, 3,290 rural Estonians in gaining skills in locating and taking advantage of profitable points of supply and market, and assisted 2,836 Host Country Nationals in effectively organizing and managing NGOs in Seminar “Strengthening the Estonian Non-profit Organizations” in Pärnu, 1999 Estonia.

The most common every day practices done by every SED/NGO Volunteer in Estonia were client consultations on basic business practices. Volunteers assisted entrepreneurs with business, strategic, and marketing plans, helped in identifying investment opportunities and potential investors/business partners as well as provided guidance with the local plans and budgets.

Volunteers together with their counterparts organized training courses and seminars on business planning, management, marketing, accounting, business ethics, computers, resume writing, selling skills, banking, and many other business-related subjects. Volunteers have also designed and taught courses on public speaking, and organized discussion groups, “EU Village Coffee Talks,” in over 30 villages throughout Estonia with the goal to increase EU awareness among Estonian villages. A well-received and useful training was on Project Design and Management (PDM) first conducted by the Peace Corps staff, and then by the local Estonian organizations and Volunteers.

45 Estonia

This teaches the principles and methods of creating successful VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: SteveSteve Greimann,Greimann, ScottScott Slankard,Slankard, NNoelleoelle WWithers,ithers, GGrouproup 8 SED/NGOSED/NGO PCVsPCVs inin Võru,Võru, HaapsaluHaapsalu projects of large and small scale aandnd Palamuse.Palamuse. that can enhance the chances of attracting funding. Five Group 8 Peace Corps Volunteers developed an interactive, entry-level marketing seminar for retail and wholesale Estonian A number of Volunteers assisted businesses of five employees or less. Designed to familiarize small as professional consultants for marketing enterprises with fundamental marketing principles, the Junior Achievement Applied Power-Point presentation highlights three main areas: definition Economic Courses in high of marketing; finding a niche in the marketplace; and customer schools. Seminars and training satisfaction. One of the major goals of the PCVs’ marketing courses for teachers in country seminar was to provide an opportunity for small businesses to become fully aware of the services available to them at schools were organized and government sponsored small marketing enterprise centers. In presented in each of Estonia’s order to assure sustainability after the seminars, the host agency 15 counties. In addition, about in collaboration with the local PCV, worked to develop long- 60 teachers were trained, term relationships with local small businesses by assisting them during three 3-day training to improve the delivery and quality of their services and with seminars, to teach JA’s GLOBE methods of increasing each business’ profitability. In addition to (Global Learning of the Business the full-length seminar, an abridged version was offered to the Enterprise) program, which was local high school and/or business English class at each location incorporated in JA’s Curriculum where the seminar was presented. for the 1997-98 school year. The core group of PCVs, Steven Greimann, Scott Slankard, and Another PCV networked with an Noelle Withers, conducted a series of interactive marketing American delegation traveling seminars. Interest in this seminar was so great that other regional to Estonia and obtained a grant enterprise support centers throughout Estonia expressed great of $1000 to purchase three interest in hosting the seminar, even though there was not a PCV classroom sets of JA GLOBE in that location. The Volunteers traveled throughout Estonia to materials from the Rhode present this seminar. Island Chamber of Commerce and Bryant College in Rhode Island. Another Volunteer assisted JA in fundraising and networking with local and international companies, helped to find funding through EBDP grant for students and teachers and JA local staff to attend the annual European-wide students’ company competition in Denmark in 1997.

PCVs participated in setting up Business Advisory and NGO Centers. Furthermore, Volunteers helped different organizations train their management and employees in building organizational capacity, plan their activities, develop grant proposals, improve fund raising skills, work with clients and foreign and local partners, and develop their boards of directors. Good examples of different activities initiated and supported by Volunteers were establishment of an Economic Development Center (an NGO) in Tapa with funding from the U.S.Embassy’s Democracy Commission, and participation in the EU- funded project “Business Around the Baltic Sea”, where the Haapsalu Business Center was involved.

Volunteers contributed a great deal of work to tourism development. One Volunteer was assigned to the National Tourism Board and coordinated activities in the rural sector that included farm Junior Achievement and US Peace Corps Professional Career Day in Tallinn, 1998 tourism and tourism

46 Estonia brochure development. Another Volunteer developed a tourist display and secured funding for a presentation at an international tourism conference in Sweden for the island of Hiiuma. He also placed historical/tourism signs in English and Estonian on the island, which was a novel concept at the time.

Business Volunteers who worked in educational institutions developed not only curriculum for business courses but also session plans on various business topics including marketing, business communication, computer business application, money and banking, foreign exchange market, worldwide financial system, accounting reports and many others.

In addition, Volunteers taught Business English classes, organized community English clubs, and taught adult classes. One Volunteer designed an introductory “crash course” for beginning learners of English; another had an English language program on the local radio station in Põlva; and one more created a negotiation game which enabled high school students to develop their negotiating skills in two-week long summer economics camps.

Volunteers, together with their VVolunteersolunteers inin Development:Development: RobbenRobben Romano,Romano, GroupGroup 6 counterparts, worked on materials NNGOGO PCV,PCV, inin Tartu.Tartu. development projects. For example, a Volunteer in Tapa worked with Robben served at the Lake Peipsi Project (LPP), an NGO dedicated to environmental reforms in Tartu, Estonia. The colleagues to produce a business period during which Robben worked at LPP was a time of catalog that was used to market radical, exciting changes in the organization. From a small, much of Tapa’s available vacant land unorganized, and very troubled agency (lack of funding and buildings and attract investors. and governmental support), LPP transformed itself into a Other Volunteers put together a strong, organized institution with a well-trained staff, a 99-page e-mail directory including clear mission, goals, and a vision of their future. According contact information for companies to Robben’s supervisor’s own words at LPP, “It will not all over Estonia that was distributed be an exaggeration to say that it happened because to SED Volunteer sites. A group of we were fortunate to have a very skilled, experienced, and dedicated NGO developer, PCV Robben Romano.” PCVs developed and published a During Robben’s service, LPP staff doubled and their budget “Total Quality Management” training increased. Today they have partners among governmental curriculum. organizations and international organizations. As part of the development of LPP, Robben helped guide the transition Administration of the Lake Peipsi Project, a local NGO, to become the International Center for Transboundary Cooperation, and the growth of the organization’s integration program for the The Peace Corps program in Estonia multicultural, multilingual Estonian society. was administered from a central office in Riga and the satellite office in Tallinn. The Tallinn office was opened in 1993 and had two Program Assistants, English Education (TEFL) and Small Enterprise Development (SED). The Program Assistants were promoted in 1996 to the title of Program Manager and carried thereafter primary responsibility for the operation of the Peace Corps program in Estonia. In 1993, an Office Manager position was created. The Resource Center was opened in March 1995 and was coordinated by a part-time Resource Center Manager. Until 1998, medical support for Volunteers was provided by part-time local and American medical staff. In 1999 a full-time American Medical Officer started working in Estonia. Estonian Language Coordinators worked part-time to meet the Volunteers’ language learning needs.

At the completion of the Peace Corps mission in the country, the Resource Center materials were distributed to four organizations and agencies including the Pärnu Teacher Training Center (NGO HarKo), Rakvere Regional Language and Teacher Training Center, Tartu NGO Center and Kivioli Regional Development Center.

47 Conclusion

CChapterh a p t e r III.I I I . CConclusiono n c l u s i o n

The closure of Peace Corps in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania brings both a sense of nostalgia and a sense of celebration. Volunteers and their counterparts are nostalgic about their past experiences and proud of the legacy they all created, the legacy that is an individual achievement of Peace Corps Volunteers and Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian co-workers who have worked together to improve their community. They have taught students who have gone on to higher education and coached entrepreneurs who have created businesses that employ other people. It is a legacy of bridge-building between the people of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and the people of the United States. It is a legacy of mutual learning and growing respect for one another as cultural understanding increases. It has been an experience that has touched many people in different ways, Volunteers, students, co-workers, and the national professional staff who have made it possible for Volunteers to do their work.

Furthermore, the Peace Corps has been witness to the rapid development of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and can take pride in its participation. Volunteers who have served there, staff who have constantly supported them, the government, and the people of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, can congratulate each other on the lasting success of their partnership. The partnership will continue to enrich the lives of American and Baltic colleagues, their families, and their friends who have been given a glimpse into the life of people who live in a distant land.

“Even if we are in different parts of the world, we do care what is happening to each other.”- Ginta Plesa, a teacher at Krimulda Secondary School in Ragana, Latvia.

From the Baltic People’s perspective:

SSirjeirje TTarraste,arraste, TTartuartu FForseliuseorseliuse GGymnasium,ymnasium, EstoniaEstonia “I was (Volunteer’s) official co-worker and we spent hours together trying to solve teaching problems, to understand better our students’ and colleagues’ attitude and to find out how beautiful Estonia actually was. From the other side I got the very best information about American life-style, traditions, customs and of course, I could practice my English.”

“Working together with Volunteers, sharing their joy, success and sometimes depression, have given me good understanding of their doings, their immense impact on Estonian school-life (and business-life as well) and themselves as personalities. I really admired these mostly young people, good representatives of their home country, far away from their families and friends giving their best for our small Estonia. It was truly nice to see Volunteers’ enthusiasm and good will to work in very different circumstances”

SSirjeirje EEhrenpreis,hrenpreis, MMärjamaaärjamaa GGymnasium,ymnasium, EstoniaEstonia “They (Volunteers) made us more familiar with American English, American culture and everyday people’s life. I asked the students and they wanted to point out different teaching methods and communicating in English all the time. My personal experience working with PCVs has been highly positive, I have become more fluent and confident with English. I am still in touch with them and that means that I have got some new wonderful friends.”

TTiitiit Madalvee,Madalvee, SuuremoisaSuuremoisa MiddleMiddle School,School, Hiiumaa,Hiiumaa, EstoniaEstonia “Because of them (Volunteers) we managed to teach English to our children at a time when we didn’t have an English teacher at all. Their service gave us the time to prepare one of our own as the new English teacher. She will graduate from the Pedagogical University next year and take over from our American colleagues. We are thus happy and unhappy at the same time.”

IIlmolmo Jaanimagi,Jaanimagi, Vinni-PajustiVinni-Pajusti Gymnasium,Gymnasium, Vinni-Pajusti,Vinni-Pajusti, EstoniaEstonia “Volunteer presence brought America very close to us. We understood that they were not just people on a mission but also simple, ordinary guys and very good friends. From a professional perspective the cooperation with the Peace Corps:

48 Conclusion

- brought the live English language spoken by native Americans to our students; - eliminated the fear of the students to speak to foreigners and gave them more confidence in communicating in English; - boosted the best English students, enthusiasm and interest in English; - helped our students to win top places at county English language competitions in five consecutive years proving our students to be among the very best speakers; - helped raise the level of English teaching in our school securing us a place among the best English teaching schools in the country; - improved dramatically my own knowledge of English and speaking abilities resulting in my confident language that no universities and Estonian-language environment can give; - gave the interested colleagues and local people an opportunity to speak English with a native speaker; - confirmed the idea of English being one of the most important subjects in our contemporary school.”

KKaijaaija GGertnere,ertnere, CCenterenter fforor NNon-Governmentalon-Governmental OOrganizations,rganizations, RRiga,iga, LLatviaatvia “Peace Corps embodies the spirit of volunteerism, which is critical component for the success of fledging NGOs. The Volunteers provide an example of what can be accomplished when someone gives to others with no thought of personal gain.”

SSarmaarma Upesleja,Upesleja, TukumsTukums NGOsNGOs Association,Association, LatviaLatvia “Work of PCVs has impacted the development of open and democratic society thanks to their motivation, skills, persistence and genuine interest in promoting the idea of open and active society. PCVs’ work changed the way of thinking of local NGOs on planning and organizing different events, as well as encouraging members of NGO to start actively working with foundations, sponsors abroad and to work with mass media.”

SSilvijailvija Andernovics,Andernovics, LATE,LATE, Riga,Riga, LatviaLatvia “There has been a long connection and while I will be sorry to see Peace Corps leave the Baltics, it is time that we stood on our own two feet and took responsibility for our education system and tried to address its shortcomings and to build on its strengths.

Many of the PCVs worked extremely hard to make their two years here in Latvia worthwhile and changed for the better because of their experiences here. Many of the co-teachers through their contact with the PCVs are different people, more confident and self-assured and learnt to look at the world from a wider perspective.”

VVaclovasaclovas Braþënas,Braþënas, AnykAnykðèèiaiiai J.BiliûnasJ.Biliûnas Gymnasium,Gymnasium, LithuaniaLithuania “Peace Corps Volunteers who worked as teachers of English in our school were important to our school in several aspects. We needed more English teachers due to the increased number of English lessons but that was just the formal side of things. The psychological aspect was far more important: the community of schools in Lithuania was (and partly is) rather stiff and lacking self- assurance. The schools at that time had no chance to compare themselves to their counterparts abroad and were too closed. Volunteer’s arrival at our school was like a blast of fresh air.”

LLiucijaiucija Ðiauèiûnienë,Ðiauèiûnienë, KaunasKaunas TechnologicalTechnological University,University, PanevëþysPanevëþys Campus,Campus, LithuaniaLithuania “She (Volunteer) taught me professionalism in working with students and teachers. She was an excellent example of this. I continue to use the assessment and evaluation methods in testing students’ knowledge that reach the maximum of objectivity. The English Resource Center that was established with the help of the Volunteer is alive and kicking.” (Translated from Lithuanian.)

IIrenarena KKnyvaitë,nyvaitë, BusinessBusiness College,College, UUtena,tena, LithuaniaLithuania “Thanks to (the Volunteer) I improved my English language skills and self-confidence. I have realized that everything is possible to find if you look for and socialize with people, discuss and work in a team.”

“I also admired (Volunteer’s) ability to plan for the future. The words “Future belongs to those who plan it” were in the Volunteer’s classroom for a good reason.” (Translated from Lithuanian.)

49 Appendixes

AAppendixp p e n d i x A:A : TablesTa b l e s

50 Table 1: US Peace Corps/Baltics Volunteer Numbers in 1992-2002 Table 3: Educational Qualification of US Peace Corps Volunteers in the Baltics

Country Group *Total SED NGO TEFL ESP TT EXT ETsst ETsnd Type of Education Number % of Total BE 1 Year 2 Year Secondary + Trade School 3 0.5 Estonia 1 21 9 - 11 - 1 3 3 - Bachelor 552 99.5 210- -8-2- 3 - Master 132 24 3199 -10--41 1 Doctorate 7 1.3 4215 -16--14 - 5133 -10--1 - 1 Table 4: Number of Communities US Peace Corps Volunteers Served in the Baltics 6184311--42 1 Community Number of Communities % of Total 7193412--12 3 Small Rural (less than 10,000) 113 61 8224411-333 7 Medium Rural/Urban (10,000-100,000) 64 34 9 20 3 4 11 - 2 N/A 1 1 Large Urban (more than 100,000) 6 0.3 Total 9 163 40 15 100 - 8 17 19 14 Capitals 3 0.2 Latvia 1 21 7 - 12 - 2 - 1 - 22314-8-1- 1 - Table 5: US Peace Corps/Baltics SPA Grants in 1994-2000 3188 -10--- - - Country Number of Total SPA Total Local Contributions Total Beneficiaries 4217 -104-15 3 Projects Contribution (US $) (US $) 512- -75-12 - Estonia 22 119,241.82 189,270.06 26,641 63363185154 4 Latvia 46 182,023.32 260,705.81 155,622 72453124-22 2 Lithuania 41 206,051.14 326,951.99 2,243 819449-211 2 Baltics 109 507,316.28 776,927.86 184,506 9 21 5 2 12 - 2 N/A - 2 9A 6 1 2 3 - - N/A - - Table 6: US Peace Corps/Baltics EBDP Grants in 1993-1999 Total 9 198 57 14 101 18 8 10 16 13 Country Number of Total EBDP Total Local Contributions Total Beneficiaries Lithuania 1 20 5 - 13 - 2 4 - 2 Projects Contribution (US $) 22012-7-1- - 1 (US $) (as reported only) (as reported only) 3156 -9--1 12 Estonia 43 136,502.13 75,865.52 4,709 4 27 10 - 12 5 - 2 2 - Latvia 60 240,331.19 76,087.40 21,081 5188 -73-72 1 Lithuania 39 146,489.98 60,065.95 25,584 62484111-55 4 Baltics 142 523,323.30 212,018.87 51,374 72675103183 - 8223412-347 - Table 7: US Peace Corps/Baltics Staff Employment Status 9 22 6 5 9 - 2 N/A 2 - Employment Status Total Baltics Estonia Latvia Lithuania Total 9 194 65 18 90 12 9 31 22 10 US Direct Hires 19 19 - - - Total (Baltics) 9 *555 162 47 291 30 25 58 57 37 FSNs (Foreign Service Nationals) 5 -131 Personal Services Contractors 10 17 38 13 *77 *Includes the number of Sworn-In Volunteers even if they served in the country for a very short time (include US and Local Hires) SED- Small Enterprise Development Total 101 29 18 41 14 NGO- Non-governmental Organization Volunteers *Includes the number of the same staff that had different positions/contracts, e.g., one person was a language TEFL- Teaching English as a Foreign Language Volunteers coordinator for a period of time and a TEFL Program Manager for another period of time, so it counts as ESP/BE- English for Specific Purposes/Business English Volunteers 2 contracts/ors. TT- Teacher Trainers EXT- Volunteers who extended their two year service ETs 1st Year- Volunteers who early terminated during their first year of service Table 8: US Peace Corps/Baltics Professional Host Country National (HCN) Staff ETs 2nd Year- Volunteers who early terminated during their second year of Type Total Number of HCNs in Estonian Latvian Lithuanian service the Baltics Professional Program Managers 27 8 9 10 Table 2: Age and Gender of US Peace Corps Volunteers in the Baltics Administrative 28 2 24 2 Total 55 10 33 12 Age Group % of Total Men Women 21-30 66 176 214 31-50 20 46 50 51-60 7 12 26 61+ 7 9 22 Total 243 312 51 52

Table 9: US Peace Corps/Baltics *PST HCN Staff in 1992-2000 in Numbers TABLES: LATVIA Position Baltics Estonia Latvia Lithuania PST Director 11 4 4 3 Table 14: Age and Gender of US Peace Corps Volunteers in Latvia TEFL Technical Trainer 11 4 3 4 Age Group Men Women % of Total SED/NGO Technical Trainer 4 1 3 - 21-30 66 76 72 Cross-Culture Coordinator 15 4 5 6 31-50 12 20 16 Language Coordinator 27 10 8 9 51-60 4 10 7 Language Instructor 158 53 54 51 61+ 3 7 5 Administrative 55 17 19 19 Total 85 113 Total 281 93 96 92 *Pre-Service Training Host Country National Staff hired for the three-month positions to prepare Peace Table 15: Educational Qualification of US Peace Corps Volunteers in Latvia Corps Trainees for their service as Volunteers in the designated country. Type of Education Number % of Total Secondary + Trade School 1 0.5 Table 10: US Peace Corps/Baltics Operating Budget (US$ in million) in 1995-2001 Bachelor 197 99.5 Year Total Budget *Program Support **Volunteer Operations Master 46 23 1995 1.661 0.463 1.188 Doctorate 3 2 1996 1.503 0.748 0.754 1997 1.605 0.753 0.836 Table 16: Number of Communities Served in Latvia: 67 1998 1.822 0.866 0.955 Community Number of Communities % of Total 1999 2.036 0.863 1.172 Small Rural (less than 10,000) 45 67 2000 2.148 0.966 1.182 Medium Rural/Urban (10,000-100,000) 20 30 2001 1.356 0.695 0.660 Large Urban (more than 100,000) 1 1.5 Total 12.134 5.357 6.750 Capital (766,464) 1 1.5 *Program Support includes staff salaries, except American direct hires, communications, rent, utilities, supplies, equipment, travel expenses and other services. TABLES: ESTONIA ** Volunteer Operations include Volunteer living, leave and settling-in allowances, travel, medical support, Volunteer training and other services. Table 17: Age and Gender of US Peace Corps Volunteers in Estonia TABLES: LITHUANIA Age Group Men Women % of Total 21-30 46 74 74 Table 11: Age and Gender of US Peace Corps Volunteers in Lithuania 31-50 20 12 20 51-60 2 2 2 Age Group Men Women % of Total 61+ 2 5 4 21-30 64 64 66 Total 70 93 31-50 14 18 17 51-60 6 14 10 Table 18: Educational Qualification of US Peace Corps Volunteers in Estonia 61+ 4 10 7 Total 88 106 Type of Education Number % of Total Secondary + Trade School 0 0 Table 12: Educational Qualification of US Peace Corps Volunteers in Lithuania Bachelor 163 100 Master 39 24 Type of Education Number % of Total Doctorate 1 0.6 Secondary + Trade School 2 1 Bachelor 192 99 Master 47 24 Table 19: Number of Communities Served in Estonia: 64 Doctorate 3 2 Community Number of Communities % of Total Table 13: Number of Communities Served in Lithuania: 55 Small Rural (less than 10,000) 50 78 Medium Rural/Urban (10,000-100,000) 12 18 Community Number of Communities % of Total Large Urban (more than 100,000) 1 2 Small Rural (less than 10,000) 18 3 Capital (400,946) 1 2 Medium Rural/Urban (10,000-100.000) 32 58 Large Urban (more than 100,000) 4 7 Capital (577,969) 1 2 Appendixes

AAppendixp p e n d i x B:B : ListsL i s t s

53 54

THE UNITED STATES PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER SITES IN LITHUANIA IN 1992-2002 15. KAUNAS Rasa Secondary School Susan Cooper, 2 Business Advisory Center Timothy Barnard, 3 No. Town/City Organization/School PCV Name, Group Nile Greenhalg, 7 1. ALYTUS Municipality Carol Jenkins, 2 Agricultural Academy Innovation Center Aaron Troutman, 3 Business Advisory Center Ken Brown, 2 Builders’ Training Center Delanore Kreiser, 4 Paula Wojtan, 5 Juliana Lucey, 7 Business College Judith Barnes, 9 Economics College Irene Ratner, 4 Melanie Lavelle, 4 SIF- Social Innovation Fund Neil Jurick, 5 Paula Wojtan, 5 Nancy Young, 8 Sue Bowley, 6 Women’s Employment Information Neil Jurick, 5 Piliakalnis Secondary School Brett Bolstad, 7 Center Nancy Young, 8 Putinai Secondary School Matthew Volz, 4 Barbara Pastine, 9 Tourist Information Center Chuck Barnes, 9 Medical Academy Kathy Summerfield, 5 NGO Information Center Judith Barnes, 9 Physical Training Institute Linda Le, 6 Business Incubator Sue Bowley, 6 KTU Business Training Center Michael Romano, 6 Chuck Barnes, 9 Regional Association of Small and Nile Greenhalgh, 7 2. ANYKÐÈIAI J.Biliûnas Secondary School Mike Fuller, 3 Medium Enterprise Rhonda Stannard, 6 Environmental Center for Administration Gerald Pearlman, 9 3. ARIOGALA Secondary School Victoria Merkel, 8 and Technology 4. BALËNAI Balënai Basic School Lora Krumplis, 7 Business College Gerald Pearlman, 9 Heather Anderson, 8 Barbara Pastine, 9 5. BIRÐTONAS Municipality Jane Evans, 7 Organization of Hearing Impaired Youth Linda Reed, 7 6. BIRÞAI Auðra Secondary School Mike Hahn, 1 Municipality Kathy Summerfield, 5 Jake Wilson, 9 Vytautas Magnus University Juliana Lucey, 7 Atþalynas Secondary School Paul Beckman, 4 16. KAZLØ RÛDA Kazlø Rûda K.Grinius Gymnasium Ricardo Zamora, 1 Jennifer Knoeber, 7 17. KELMË Secondary School No.3 Heather Nakonezny, 1 Kaðtonai Secondary School Andrew Paul, 8 J.Graièiûnas Secondary School Desmond Marmion, 5 18. KËDAINIAI Municipality Ann Bradley, 6 Municipality John Brown, 5 Barbara Pastine, 9 Tourist Information Center John Brown, 5 19. KLAIPËDA Chamber of Commerce Indre Biskis, 1 7. DAUGAI Agricultural School Anthony Kinard, 9 Versmë Secondary School Vincent Kreder, 1 8. DRUSKININKAI Senamiestis Secondary School Stacy Larsen, 1 Jennifer Naser, 3 9. GARLIAVA Jonuèiai Secondary School Natalie Ricker, 3 N.Skuèienë Humanitarian and Business Jeffrey Corbin, 4 Sonja Jurick, 5 10. IGNALINA Municipality Judith Bennett, 8 College Mark Haag, 7 È.Kudaba Secondary School Erica Schwarz, 8 Ëþuolynas Secondary School Aimee Herring, 4 11. JONAVA Municipality Tom Reott, 2 Baltija Secondary School Leslie Kremer, 5 R.Samulevièius Secondary School Shannon Thomas, 6 John Kremer, 5 Nancy Young, 8 Kelly Coleman, 7 12. JONIÐKIS M.Slanèiauskas Secondary School Alfred Kueppers, 3 Business Advisory Services Center John Kremer, 5 Municipality Michael Blasi, 7 Municipality, Social Care Department Lynette Andresen, 7 Education Center David Abraham, 8 Pedagogical College Katherine Prout, 7 Auðra Gymnasium David Abraham, 8 Sendvaris Secondary School Elizabeth Doyle, 8 13. JURBARKAS Secondary School No.2 Michelle Fisher, 2 Spiritual Guidance Center for Youth Peggy Martin, 9 Municipality Paul Spevacek, 2 20. KRETINGA Municipality Jimmie Mollica, 2 (dec.) Brad Anderson, 4 S.Daukantas Secondary School Christine Murphy, 4 Ryan Campbell, 7 J.Pabrëþa Secondary School Cynthia Miles, 7 14. KAIÐIADORYS A.Brazauskas Secondary School Sarah Goss, 4 21. KUPIÐKIS P.Matulionis Secondary School Michelle Pirkl, 1 Municipality Susan Ann Wallace, 6 L.Stuoka-Gucevièius Secondary School Cy Kuckenbaker, 9 15. KAUNAS Technological College Arthur Hawkridge, 1 Kelly Coleman, 7 Louis Cottage, 4 22. LAZDIJAI Municipality Mark Kleinschmidt, 2 Kathy Summerfield, 5 Ronald Czarny, 4 23. MARIJAMPOLË Municipality Michael Giordano, 2 38. ROKIÐKIS Municipality Chris Cummings, 6 Mark Leonardi, 6 J.Tûbelis Secondary School Laura Cummings, 6 P.Arminas Secondary School Lisa Burrowes, 3 Education Center Sandra Hill, 8 Women’s Activity Center Julie Lamy, 7 Romuva Secondary School Sandra Hill, 8 Marijampolë Branch of Kaunas James Willis, 8 Pedagogical College Sandra Hill, 8 Chamber of Commerce 39. SALANTAI Secondary School Genealle Wigginton, 6 Language Center Elizabeth Meyer, 9 James Hodapp, 8 24. MAÞEIKIAI Gabija Secondary School Alyssa Gibson, 3 40. SKUODAS Bartuva Secondary School Peter Staubitz, 2 Darlene York, 5 P.Þadeikis Secondary School Heather Kaye, 4 Municipality Seth Kircher, 4 Municipality Catherine Cannatella, 9 Robert York, 5 41. ÐAKIAI Municipality Kari Knaust, 9 Pavasaris Secondary School Lara Cox, 7 42. ÐEDUVA Secondary School Greg Scopino, 7 M.Raèkauskas Gymnasium Claire Cramer, 7 Andrew Turner, 9 Þemaitija Scouts Organization Mike Mikolaitis, 9 43. ÐIAULIAI Didþvaris Secondary School Judith Benjamin, 1 Movement “Stop the Crime” Coleen Nicole, 4 25. MOLËTAI Molëtai Secondary School Janet Ellis, 3 Nicole Kehler, 8 26. NAUJOJI Municipality Erik Prussman, 2 Business Advisory Center Chris Helmkamp, 1 AKMENË Saulëtekis Secondary School Deana Murtha, 4 KTU Ðiauliai Campus/Ðiauliai University Daniel Beeby, 4 Education Center Sally Morrison, 8 Coleen Nicole, 4 27. PAKRUOJIS Atþalynas Secondary School Tate Renner, 1 Ralene Kroenke, 6 Municipality Daniel Klaus, 2 Robert Russel, 6 Andrew Lyons, 7 David Abraham, 8 Education Center Mauriel Holland, 9 Blake Kehler, 8 Þemyna Secondary School Mauriel Holland, 9 Aaron Dayringer, 3 28. PALANGA V.Jurgutis Secondary School Martin Quinton, 2 Andrew Turner, 9 Jill Collins, 6 Business Incubator Andrew Lyons, 7 Caryn Muellerleile, 7 Foreign Language Center Holly Parker, 8 29. PANEVËÞYS Municipality Heidi Jack, 1 Club for Hearing Impaired “Auditas” Nicole Kehler, 8 KTU Panevëþys Campus Marilyn Ambrose, 2 NGO Confederation & Fund “Samarija” Blake Kehler, 8 David Moss, 4 44. ÐILALË Darius and Girënas Secondary School Jason Kane, 5 Vyturys Secondary School Damon Stewart, 2 45. ÐILUTË 1st Gymnasium Sean Connolly, 1 Business Advisory Services Center Christian Jones, 4 Vydûnas Gymnasium Trey Young, 4 Jeffrey Chu, 5 Sara Werth, 6 Renee Keel, 7 Municipality Linda Reed, 7 Panevëþys Branch of Lithuanian Renee Keel, 7 Association of Inventors 46. ÐIRVINTOS L.Stuoka-Gucevièius Secondary School Melissa Schneider, 5 Þemyna Secondary School Holly Parker, 8 Municipality Erika Wilson, 6 Organization of Parents and Friends of Phyllis Lichenstein, 9 Kay Shatrawka, 9 Hearing Impaired “Adapta” 47. ÐVENÈIONYS Municipality Robert Russel, 6 30. PASVALYS Lëvens Secondary School Bridget Dolan, 9 Pamela Thompson, 7 31. PLUNGË Senamiestis Secondary School Kelly Latham, 5 Z.Þemaitis Gymnasium Eric Reiff, 8 Shawn Hunt, 6 Leslie Robinson, 9 Municipality Geoffrey Parish, 8 48. TAURAGË Municipality Anne Casper, 2 32. PRIENAI Municipality Todd Mikelevièius, 4 Ann Pellagrini, 8 33. RADVILIÐKIS Vaiþgantas Gymnasium Michelle Olson, 2 Women’s Employment Information Ann Pellagrini, 8 Nancy DeMaranville, 8 Center Municipality Aaron Dayringer, 3 49. TELÐIAI Krantas Secondary School Andrew Libby, 1 Lizdeika Gymnasium Douglas Myers, 6 Municipality Jim Prosser, 2 34. RAMYGALA Secondary School Merry Wolf, 7 Business Incubator Andrew Lyons, 7 35. RASEINIAI Ðaltinis Secondary School Maureen Mahoney, 1 Children and Youth Psychological Sylvia Shaw, 8 Scott Mays, 6 Center 36. RAUDONDVARIS Secondary School Douglas Cochran, 1 Education Center Delana Boatright, 9 37. RIETAVAS L.Ivinskis Secondary School Ted Bongiovanni, 4 Secondary School No.8 Delana Boatright, 9 Joseph O’Grady, 8 50. TRAKAI Vytautas Didysis Secondary School Bonnie Carlson, 1 Youth Center Debra Matisoff, 6 Deborah Stengle, 9 55 56

51. UKMERGË Uþupis Secondary School Ann-Nora Hirami, 2 THE UNITED STATES PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER SITES IN LATVIA IN 1992-2002 Municipality Joel Waters, 2 Kathy Luschek, 4 No. Town/City Organization/School PCV Name, Group Madeleine Von Laue, 7 1. ÂDAÞI Secondary School Steven Morrison, 7 J.Basanavièius Secondary School Brian Chabowski, 4 2. AIZKRAUKLE Secondary School No.2 Heather Huntly, 1 52. UTENA Saulë Gymnasium Michael Phillips, 1 Mary Yates, 4 Business College Allen Dammann, 4 Agriculture Consultation Bureau Craig McCook, 2 Marlene Johnson, 7 NGO, Adult Education Center Rebecca Apter, 9 Municipality Robert Anderson, 9 3. AIZPUTE Aizpute Secondary School Katherine Prentice, 9 53. UÞPALIAI Secondary School Rita Guriel, 9 4. ALÛKSNE Agriculture Consultation Bureau Christopher Spivey, 1 54. VILKAVIÐKIS Auðra Secondary School Amy Jo Carroll, 3 Gymnasium Susannah Conley, 4 55 VILNIUS Birþiðka Gymnasium Bonnie Carlson, 1 NGO Support Center Erik Markovs, 8 Pedagogical University Patrick Chura, 1 5. ALOJA Secondary School Sarah Spangler, 7 Greg Scopino, 7 6. AUCE Secondary School Sally Miller, 2 Vilnius University Women’s Study Center Sandra Lease, 1 April Krukowski, 4 Junior Achievement - Lithuania Jim Prosser, 2 Melissa Pavlik, 7 Tom Reott, 2 7. BALDONE Secondary School Margaret Mudroch, 4 Carla Galisin, 3 Kati Steinke, 6 Terrence O’Connor, 4 8. BAUSKA Secondary School No.1 Kristen Butcher, 1 Teresa Bonner, 5 Amy Windju, 3 Ministry of Education and Science Amy Jo Carroll, 3 Laurie Stuart, 6 Jason Kane, 5 City Government Kelly Denton, 7 Jennifer Knoeber, 7 9. BALVI Balvi Craftsmen Secondary School Nicole Varnes, 6 Greg Scopino, 7 10. BROCÇNI Secondary School Andri Hallsteinsson, 8 Information Institute Samantha Fewox, 3 11. BULDURI Agriculture Consultation Bureau David Cherenzia, 2 Institute of Lithuanian Economy and Samuel Setliff, 3 12. CÇSIS Agriculture Consultation Bureau James Coslow, 1 Privatization Deborah Most, 3 Þirmûnai Gymnasium Shanna Taylor, 3 Cçsis City Grammar School Lisa Seelinger, 2 Collin Reynolds, 6 Matthew Riggs, 3 Business Advisory Services Center Cami Tsai, 4 Chris Connolly, 5 Leonard Swain, 6 NGO, Adult Education Center Karie Trumbo, 7 E.Rastenienë College of Languages and Elizabeth Demarest, 5 Municipality Deborah Most, 3 Management 13. CESVAINE Gymnasium Richard Halvorson, 9 Jewish Museum Elizabeth Demarest, 5 14. DAUGAVPILS Secondary School No.9 Kevin Horton, 1 Institute of Pedagogics Jason Kane, 5 Pedagogical University Chris Siliski, 2 Lithuania Banking, Insurance and John McElwaine, 5 Agriculture Consultation Bureau Mike Wharff, 2 Finance Institute Geoff Parish, 8 Enterprise Support Center John Matlock, 3 Electronics College Isabel Menken, 5 David Scully, 6 NGO Information and Support Center Tara Brabazon, 6 Secondary School No.6 Darcy Mailander, 4 Nadine Hathaway, 8 Gary Lyasch, 5 Lithuanian Special Olympics Committee Irwin Hertz, 6 Philip Stepping, 9A Conflict Prevention Center Kevin Borrup, 7 Secondary School No.10 Samantha Daniels, 6 Youth Psychological Aid Center Kevin Borrup, 7 Southern Latgale NGO Support Center Samantha Daniels, 6 US Baltic Foundation Ryan Campbell, 7 Daniel Freedenberg, 9A Magazine “Discover English” Greg Scopino, 7 Secondary School No.12 Thomas Ross, 6 AA “Þingsnis” Erika Wilson, 6 Secondary School No.4 Katherine Vieira, 8 Psychological Center Catherine Iannello, 9A US Peace Corps/Volunteer Coordinator Amy Jo Carroll,3 Russian Gymnasium Jennifer Jordan, 3 Louis Cottage, 4 15. DOBELE Adult Education Center Nancy Poopongpaibul, 9 John Brown, 5 16. DRUVA Secondary School Brenda Murphy, 5 Ministry of Economy Erica Wilson, 6 Melissa Brickey, 7 Lithuanian Tourism Department Caryn Muellerleile, 7 Timothy Jacobs, 8 Ryan Campbell, 7 17. DUNDAGA Local Government David Kreichelt, 7 Ronald Czarny, 4 18. ENGURE Maritime College Antony Redman, 6 Lithuanian Free Market Institute Geoff Parish, 8 Local Communities Cooperation Union “Engure” Jude Pecora, 9 19. GAUJIENA Gymnasium Emily Pearson, 9 35. LIEPÂJA Scientific Training Center Thomas Bernard, 1 20. GULBENE Agriculture Consultation Bureau Paul Felin, 2 Secondary School No.1 Katherine Johnson, 2 Gymnasium Erik Loe, 5 City Finance Department Jim Ruth, 2 Robert Schumacher, 7 Latvia Agriculture Consultation Center Fred Swanson, 2 Secondary School No.2 Robert Schumacher, 7 J.Èakstes Secondary School No.10 Jon-David Settell, 8 Adult Evening School Robert Schumacher, 7 Liepâja MZTK Technical University/Business Adrienne Tripp, 5 21. IECAVA Secondary School Antony Redman, 6 School Dorothy Wilson, 6 22. JAUNPILS Secondary School Kristel Harms, 7 Draudzîgâ aicinâjuma Secondary School No.5 Chris Hrabe, 6 23. JÇKABPILS City Government James O’Reilly, 1 City Government Michael LaVolpe, 6 Danish Cooperative Linda Gratz, 2 Enterprise Support Center Michael LaVolpe, 6 Gymnasium Melissa Jillson, 6 Robert LaJeunesse, 3 Stuart Harden, 1 NGO Support Center Barbara Stegman, 9 Secondary School No.3 Jennifer Keahey, 8 Pedagogical Academy Wayne Stegman, 9 Sçlija NGO Support Center Thomas Sinclair, 8 Secondary School No.7 Dyanne Durr, 9A Agricultural Business College Christina Sharp, 9 36. LIMBAÞI Secondary School No.3 Stephanie Brown, 1 24. JELGAVA Secondary School No.1 Rue Murray, 1 Secondary School No.1 Lisa Nunn, 6 Agriculture Consultation Bureau Chris Mullen, 2 David Shubair, 9 Agriculture University Todd Easly, 4 37. LÎVÂNI Foundation “Baltâ Mâja” Kenneth Sweet, 8 Secondary School No.5 Gregory Sandberg, 4 38. LUDZA Agriculture Consultation Bureau Terry Hoffer, 2 Regional Government, Agriculture Department Mary Adams, 4 Secondary School Priscilla Fox, 7 Secondary School No. 4 Romolo Zaffaroni, 9 Red Cross Sally Laviolette, 9 25. JÛRMALA Secondary School No.1 Randy Stieghorst, 5 39. MADONA Gymnasium John Ginkel, 1 Scott Nichols, 7 Denise Ross, 3 26. KALÇTI NGO “Bârtava” Christine Deady, 7 Erin Hess, 6 27. KALNI Secondary School Anne Pliska, 7 Regional Government Joanne McGuire, 7 28. KANDAVA Boarding School Tara Damhoff, 6 40. MAZSALACA City Government Lilita Matison, 6 29. ÍEGUMS Íegums Commerce School Nanci Roth, 5 Secondary School Sarah Brehm, 8 30. ÍEMERI Jûrmala Secondary School No.3 Lisa Frederico, 1 41. NERETA Secondary School Christina Sharp, 9 31. KOKNESE Secondary School Amy Whitaker, 9 42. OGRE Secondary School No.1 Alison Boak, 3 32. KRÂSLAVA Gymnasium Matthew Ettl, 8 Stephanie Frazier, 9 Varavîksne Secondary School Kathryn Stott, 9 Agriculture Credit Office Douglas MacKinnon, 3 33. KULDÎGA Center Secondary School Arthur Carucci, 2 Municipality Douglas MacKinnon, 3 Joyce Lipman, 5 Youth Health Center Diane Bartholomew, 7 Agriculture Credit Office Adam Smith, 3 43. PÏAVIÒAS Gymnasium Tiffany Gilmartin, 6 Regional Government Monica Francois, 6 44. PREIÏI Regional Government Jane Darling, 4 Gymnasium Irene Oriend, 6 Gymnasium Kevin O’Donoghue, 2 Secondary School No.2 Melissa Holland, 7 Stephanie McBrayer, 5 NGOs Association, Regional Government Arnold Ehlert, 6 34. LIELVÂRDE City Government Lee Babcock, 1 NGO Center Nicole Spore, 8 Secondary School No.1 Frances Clark, 2 45. PRIEKUÏI Secondary School Lynn Mellor, 8 46. RAGANA Krimulda Secondary School Katherine Aylward, 8 47. RÇZEKNE EC Phare Susan Hahn, 1 Secondary School No.1 Kevin Hood, 1 Rçzekne University Scott Marriott, 2 Eric Edwards, 4 Darren Crovitz, 6 Susan Crovitz, 6 Christopher Powers, 9A Agriculture Consultation Bureau Jim Raisner, 2 Agriculture Credit Office Mathew Buske, 3 Consumer’s Rights Protection Center Jane Young, 7 NGO Support Center Courtney Queen, 9 57 58

48 RÎGA Riga Commerce School Carol Hamblin, 1 63. VALKA Agriculture Consultation Bureau David DeRousse, 1 Nora Milchen, 2 Regional Council Kelly Shannon, 6 James Daniel, 4 64. VALMIERA Secondary School No.5 Mark Sturdevant, 1 Latvia State University Amy Thompson, 1 Christopher Harig, 3 Matthew Marino, 6 Jeffrey Brakhage, 7 Iïìuciema Secondary School Angelique Wanke, 1 Enterprise Support Center Kathleen Foster, 4 Agriculture Finance Consultant/World Bank Krieg Brown, 2 Jacqueline Granger, 6 Rîga State Gymnasium No.1 Neil McGurty, 2 Ann Salmirs, 6 Lisa Daniel, 4 City Government Edward Moeller, 4 Craftsmen Secondary School Hugh Brown, 3 Vidzeme College Jeffrey Brakhage, 7 Riga Teacher Training and Educational Andrea Stark, 3 Georgia Hotton, 9 Management Academy Gretchen Coppedge, 6 Music School Ivy LeGore, 7 Latvian Tourism Board Laurie Fredericks, 4 65. VENTSPILS Entrepreneurs Support Center Nancy Stephens, 2 US Peace Corps Julie Reimer, 4 Secondary School No.4 Yvette Castro-Green, 3 Mette Karlsen, 6 Judith Ross, 7 Kristel Harms, 7 Regional Government Julianna Harlan, 4 Maritime Academy Robert Thornhill, 5 John Ross, 7 Juanita Carmi, 7 Rîga Technical University, Ventspils College Julie Reimer, 4 Higher School for Social Work “Attîstîba” Julie Reimer, 4 Joshua Vanek, 6 Anne Branchfield, 7 Secondary School No.1 Abra Edwards, 5 Enterprise Support Center James Lee, 6 North Kurzeme Regional Development Agency Chad T. Green, 3 Secondary School No.13 Wendy Standley, 9A Center for Street Children "Nâc lîdzi" Doris Myers, 9 Rîga Lomonosova Russian Gymnasium Andrea Stark, 3 66. VIÐÍI Agriculture Secondary School Mike Wharff, 2 Ministry of Welfare Lisa Daniel, 4 67. ZILUPE Secondary School Kathryn Stott, 9 Health Promotion Center Lisa Daniel, 4 Agriculture Credit Office Charles Estes, 3 LATE Thomas Ross, 6 Jennifer Keahey, 8 49. ROJA Secondary School Jennifer Koerper, 5 Randy Scheid, 7 50. ROPAÞI Secondary School Anne Branchfield, 7 51. RÛJIENA Rûjiena Community House Allen Ingram, 8 City Government Mickey Ingram, 8 52. SABILE Secondary School Hilary Matthews, 9 53. SALASPILS Secondary School No.1 Michael Ronning, 9

54. SALDUS Saldus Gymnasium Mette Karlsen, 6 Regional and City Government Eva Hall, 8 55. SIGULDA Sigulda Gymnasium Christian Shults, 4 Gretchen Coppedge, 6 56. SKRÎVERI A.Upîða Secondary School Josset Gauley, 6 Carrie Slater, 8 57. SKRUNDA Secondary School No.1 Myrta Dicupe, 8 58. SMILTENE Gymnasium Amy Martel, 2 John Kopilow, 4 Kelly Shannon, 6 59. STRENÈI Secondary School Aimee Jayko, 9 60. TALSI Gymnasium Kathy Nelson, 1 Wendy Falkoner, 3 Regional Government Louis Castillo, 4 North Kurzeme NGO Support Center Aaaron Gage, 8 61. TUKUMS Tukums Secondary School N.1 Kristen Warrens, 4 Susan Alden, 6 NGO Support Center Susan Alden, 6 NGOs Association Stacie Birenbach, 6 62. UGÂLE Secondary School Wendy Brown, 6 THE UNITED STATES PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER SITES IN ESTONIA IN 1992-2002 23. KURESSAARE Saaremaa Coeducational Gymnasium Lary Kleeman, 1 Denise Salas, 3 No. Town/City Organization/School PCV Name, Group Carleen Talty, 6 1. ABJA-PALUOJA Secondary School Karl Uhrig, 1 Kuressaare Gymnasium John Isles, 1 2. AEGVIIDU Parish Government Kirsten Weiss, 3 Wanda Wilson, 3 3. ANTSLA Secondary School Nathanael Roe, 2 Victoria MaLossi, 4 Shalan Young, 4 Tanya Kadesh, 6 4. AVINURME Secondary School Andrew Elser, 8 Kuressaare Technical School Alexandra Kriofske, 9 5. ELVA Secondary School Robert Oetjen, 1 Business Service Center Thomas Hammar, 7 6. HÄÄDEMEESTE Secondary School Gabriel McKeen, 5 Saare County Government Charles Wilson, 3 7. HAAPSALU Wiedemanni Secondary School Jennifer McDermott, 1 24. KULLAMAA Secondary School Raymond Kubista, 7 David Burkhart, 3 Small Business Development Center Scott Slankard, 8 25. PÜRKSI Noarootsi Gymnasium Leigh Wilkerson, 1 Haapsalu Gymnasium/Language Center Daniel Migden, 8 Nina Chill, 6 Stephanie Wallace, 9 Elizabeth Winslow, 8 Lääne County Government Stephen Vinson, 1 8. HIIUMAA Hiiumaa County Government Douglas Wells, 1 26. MÕDRIKU Technical School Rebecca Green, 9 Suuremõisa Basic School Mary Arden, 5 27. LÄHTE Secondary School Nathaniel Jensen, 4 Stephanie Albers, 7 28. LOKSA Parish Government Michael Auman, 4 Harald Knudsen, 9 29. LOO Secondary School Lisa Martin, 5 Käina Gymnasium Harald Knudsen, 9 30. MÄRJAMAA City Government Lori Wittrock, 3 Kärdla Gymnasium Stephen Courtney, 9 Business Service Center Audrey Scott, 7 9. IISAKU Gymnasium Nicole Paripovich, 6 Gymnasium Patricia O’Neill, 5 Elisa Coffren, 8 Holly Martin, 9 10. JÕGEVA Secondary Schools No.1 and No.2 Seana Sperling, 1 31. MUSTLA Secondary School Melissa Heffernan, 4 County Government Jenifer Weinbach, 3 32. NARVA Business Center Michael O’Donoghue, 1 11. JÄRVAKANDI Secondary School Penny LaRock, 6 Pähklimäe Gymnasium Jan Drozd, 2 Jacquelin McKisson, 3 12. JÕHVI City Govermnent Michael Stewart, 1 Joy Bustrum, 5 Russian Gymnasium Thomas Benz, 5 Humanitarian Gymnasium Julianna Arnold, 3 Human Rights Institute Monica McGuire, 8 Tartu University Narva College Jill Ritschard, 5 13. JÄNEDA Advisory Center Michael O'Donoghue, 1 Amy Maraney, 9 14. KADRINA Secondary School Cynthia Conley, 1 33. NARVA-JÕESUU Secondary School Mary Neal, 7 Juliette Cubanski, 2 15. KEHRA City Government Kirsten Weiss, 3 34. NÕO Real Gymnasium Jean Kleinhans, 7 16. RAKKE Gymnasium Tanya Kadesh, 6 35. OTEPÄÄ Gymnasium Brenda Erickson, 3 17. KILINGI- Gymnasium Michael Dunphy, 7 Laura Bailey, 5 NÕMME Erin Gray, 9 Jennifer Ciotta, 9 18. KIVIÕLI Regional Development Center Elizabeth Parsons, 9 36. PAIDE Paide Gymnasium Renee Leck, 3 Secondary School No.1 Ryan Wilkinson, 9 Douglas Spoolstra, 6 19. KOHILA Secondary School Andrea Tomaszewicz, 4 Enterprise Development Center of Järva John Kirwan, 6 & 9 20. KOHTLA-JÄRVE Virumaa College Theresa Michniewicz, 2 County Stephen Burgin, 4 37. PALAMUSE Parish Government Anne Withers, 8 Secondary School No.13 Jennifer Godwin, 3 38. PALDISKI City Government David Barbour, 3 Ahtme Gymnasium Sara Early, 4 Youth Center Amy Neugebauer, 7 City Government Mark Silverman, 5 39. PÄRNU County Government Linda Borland, 1 Technical School Robert Doughten, 6 NGO 'Shalom' Help Center Kelvin Reese, 8 Zachary Evans, 8 40. PÄRNU-JAAGUPI Secondary School Kimberly Gustafson, 5 21. KOSE Secondary School Melissa Hinson, 8 James Billings, 7 22. KUNDA Secondary School Colin McEvoy, 8 41. PÕLTSAMAA Parish Government Heather Butkowski, 9 Coeducational Gymnasium Stephanie Wallace, 9 59 60

42. PÕLVA Secondary School Karl Ehmann, 1 57. VÄIKE-MAARJA Parish Government Anne Turner, 7 Peter Medine, 6 58. VALGA County Government Michael Walton, 3 County Government Blaine Carvalho, 3 Ruth Kastanas, 6 Edward Greenwood, 6 Russian Gymnasium Damien Francaviglia, 4 Business Service Center Leslie Hopkins, 8 Gymnasium Dena Thorson, 4 43. RÄPINA Technical School Virginia Milstead, 8 Basic School Janice Gerling, 7 44. RAKVERE County Government Gerald Wirth, 1 Kendell Kennedy, 8 Department of Virumaa Business Advisory Lilian McMath, 5 Tourism Information Center Serena Chamberlain, 9 Center 59. VÄNDRA Gymnasium Nicole Epting, 4 Gymnasium Iris Kurman, 2 Parish Government Tiffany Ramsey, 4 Kevin Brannon, 8 60. VIIMSI Secondary School Neil Coffee, 2 Technical School Gulliver Branson, 7 45. RAPLA Secondary School No.1 Richard Adang, 3 61. VILJANDI County Government Roger Pulkrabek, 1 Business Service Center Jeffrey Sargent, 6 C.R.Jakobson Gymnasium Jennifer Haigh, 2 Peter May, 8 Hilvie Ostrow, 4 46. SAUE Gymnasium Joseph Lumpkin, 4 Shellie Andrews, 5 Jessica Zeff, 7 Sarah Schnell, 9 47. SILLAMÄE Technical School Matthew Derrick, 8 Business Service Center Aaron Ostrow, 4 48. SUURE-JAANI Gymnasium Roger Hemesath, 3 County Gymnasium Wendy LaBron,1 Marilyn Parks, 7 Michael Stevenson, 4 49. TABASALU Secondary School Hyun Joo Kim, 2 Kelly McDoland, 6 50. TALLINN Secondary School No.7 Robert Turner, 1 Nicole Paripovich, 6 US Peace Corps Karl Uhrig, 1 Paalalinna Gymnasium Michael Pellauer, 8 Jenifer Weinbach, 3 Association 'Homeland' Brenda Paz-Soldan, 9 Thomas Benz, 5 62. VINNI-PAJUSTI Gymnasium Thomas Lucas, 4 Carleen Talty, 6 Amanda Thomas, 8 Estonian Center of Marine Education David Brecht, 2 63. VÕHMA Secondary School Dawn Balestreri, 1 Estonian National Tourism Board Kirsten Weiss, 3 64. VÕRU County Government Ann Roy, 1 Junior Achievement Lori Wittrock, 3 Susan Weizenicker, 3 Colleen McLaughlin, 7 Steven Greimann, 8 Estonian Foundation Center Michael Krause, 4 Kreutzwaldi Gymnasium/Võru Language Rodney Addington, 8 (NAFE – Network of Nonprofessional Lisa Frankel, 6 Center Associations and Foundations) Medical School Traci Krause, 4 Väike-Õismäe Gymnasium Thomas Lucas, 4 Tallinn Teacher Training Center Thomas Lucas, 4 Baltics Small Equity Fund Philip Butler, 7 51. TAMSALU Gymnasium Maria Spray, 7 52. TAPA City Government Roy Ladewig, 3 David Griffith, 5 NGO Enterprise Development Center Robert Hogan, 7 Gymnasium Hannah Dallmann, 9 53. TARTU County Government Scott Diel, 1 Raatuse Gymnasium Sarah Anderson, 6 Annelinna Gymnasium Pamela Paliskis, 6 Chamber of Disabled People Pamela Paliskis, 6 Center of Transboundary Cooperation Robben Romano, 6 Scientific Center Jeff Vollmer, 6 Estonian Fund for Nature Susan Murray, 8 NGO 'Step by Step' Myra Emata-Stokes, 9 Forseliuse Gymnasium Christina Meiling, 9 Business Advisory Center Jeremiah Stokes, 9 54. TOILA Gymnasium Alexander Rowe, 7 55. TÕRVA City Government Alisa Zimmerman, 4 56. TÜRI Secondary School No.1 Colleen Kennedy, 2 Gerardo Lara, 4 US PEACE CORPS ESTONIA, LATVIA AND LITHUANIA STAFF 1992-2002 8. Rita Perkons Cross-Cultural Coordinator Baltics 1999-2000 9. Maire Aarsalu Language Coordinator Estonia 1993-1994 OFFICE OF THE COUNTRY DIRECTOR 10. Maia Evisalu Language Coordinator Estonia 1994-1995 11. Ene Alas Language Coordinator Estonia 1995-1996 No. Name Title Year 12. Kirsi Rannaste Language Coordinator Estonia 1996-2001 1. James D.Lehman Country Director 1992 13. Sandra Saulîte Language Coordinator Latvia 1992-1993 2. Dagnija Kreslins Country Director 1992-1994 14. Ilona Kiukucâne Language Coordinator Latvia 1995-1997 Iluta Èapus Executive Assistant 1992-1994 15. Indra Kûlîte Language Coordinator Latvia 1997-2000 3. Edward Block Country Director 1994-1996 16. Ligita Grigule Language Coordinator Latvia 2000-2001 4. Baudouin de Marcken Country Director 1996-2000 17. Jolita Norkûnaitë Language Coordinator Lithuania 1992-1993 5. Coralie Turbitt Country Director 2000-2002 18. Dainora Èepliejûtë-Kerienë Language Coordinator Lithuania 1993-1997 1998-2000 OFFICE OF PROGRAM SUPPORT 19. Sigita Skroblienë Language Coordinator Lithuania 1997-1998 No. Name Title Year OFFICE OF MEDICAL SUPPORT 1. Jimmie Wilkins APCD/SED Baltics 1992-1994 2. Bill Edwards APCD/SED Baltics 1994-1996 No. Name Title Year 3. Laine Lembavere SED Program Assistant Estonia 1993-1994 1. Leo Zelkowich Medical Officer Baltics 1992-1993 4. Michael O’Donoghue SED Program Manager Estonia 1994-1996 2. Shirley Furst Medical Officer Baltics 1993 5. Jenifer Weinbach SED Program Manager/Volunteer Coordinator 1996-1997 3. Olga Lozovska Medical Assistant Baltics 1994-2002 Estonia 4. Connie Keeney Medical Officer Baltics 1993-1994 6. Lori Wittrock SED Program Manager Estonia 1997-2001 Medical Officer Latvia/Estonia 1994-1995 7. Normunds Mizis SED Program Assistant Latvia 1993-1994 5. Juris Zagars Medical Officer Latvia/Estonia 1995-1996 8. Dita Rutkovska SED Program Manager Latvia 1994-2001 6. Karen Plavnieks Medical Officer Latvia/Coordinator Baltics 1996-1998 9. Juris Balodis SED Program Manager Latvia 2000 7. Mannie Roy-Bearden Medical Officer Latvia 1998-2001 10. Audronë Zubavièienë SED Program Manager Lithuania 1993-2001 Medical Coordinator Baltics Program Manager Lithuania 2001-2002 8. Laura Kayser Medical Officer Estonia 1995-1996 11. Patricia Johnson (dec.) APCD/TEFL Baltics 1992-1995 9. Ahti Virkus Medical Officer Estonia 1996-1998 12. Roz Wollmering APCD/TEFL Baltics 1995-1996 10. Michael Bearden Medical Officer Estonia 1999 13. Chris Cushing APCD/Programing and Training 1996-2001 11. Kathryn Clawson Medical Officer Estonia 2000-2001 14. Jolita Norkûnaitë Post Closure Events Coordinator 2001-2002 12. Liz Blair Medical Officer Estonia/Latvia 2001-2002 15. Tiiu Kõiv TEFL Program Assistant Estonia 1992-1994 13. Kim Skrtic Medical Officer Lithuania 1994-2002 16. Sirje Tamm TEFL Program Manager Estonia 1994-2001 Medical Officer Lithuania/Latvia 1996 & 2002 Program Manager Estonia 2001-2002 17. Daiga Holma TEFL Program Manager Latvia 1993-1999 OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION 18. Indra Kûlîte TEFL Program Manager Latvia 2000-2001 No. Name Title Year Program Manager Latvia 2001-2002 1. Michael Lowrie APCD/Administration Baltics 1992-1993 19. Birutë Jatautaitë TEFL Program Assistant Lithuania 1993 2. Matt Oppenheimer APCD/Administration Baltics 1993-1994 20. Jolita Norkûnaitë TEFL Program Manager Lithuania 1993-1998 3. Bill Hoover APCD/Administration Baltics 1994-1997 21. Rasa Vaðkevièiûtë-Stuglienë TEFL Interim Program Manager Lithuania 1998 4. Bryan Ermatinger APCD/Administration Baltics 1997-1998 22. Roma Valiukienë TEFL Program Manager Lithuania 1998-2001 5. Marvin Pannell APCD/Administration Baltics 1998-1999 6. Rollyn Holger APCD/Administration Baltics 1999-2001 7. Linda Layfield APCD/Administration Baltics 2002 OFFICE OF TRAINING SUPPORT 8. Dainis Strumpe Cashier/Budget & Fiscal Officer/Analyst Baltics 1993-2002 No. Name Title Year 9. Gunârs Grizâns Cashier Baltics 1992-1993 1. Arthur Chrisfield APCD/Training Officer Baltics 1992 10. Elita Ozoliòa Cashier Baltics 1995-2001 2. Peter Burke APCD/Training Officer Baltics 1992-1993 11. Juris Bariss General Service Officer Baltics 1992 3. Anna Rutins Training Assistant/Coordinator Baltics 1993-1995 12. Guntis Âboltiòð-Âboliòð General Service Assistant Baltics 1992-1993 4. Jimmy Harris Programing & Training Specialist Baltics 1995-1996 13. Gints Skudra General Service Assistant 1994-1996 5. Edgards Kariks Programing & Training Specialist Assistant Baltics 1995-1997 14. Viesturs Upîtis Office Systems Manager 1993-1995 6. Denise Salas-Wirth Training Coordinator Baltics 1998-2001 15. Guna Griíe-Vîtola Administrative Assistant/Office Systems Manager/ 1995-2000 7. Rasa Vaðkevièiûtë-Stuglienë Cross-Cultural Coordinator Baltics 1997-1998 GAD Coordinator Baltics 61 62

16. Inese Blekte Adminsitrative Assistant 1993-1994 17. Agrita Þukure Adminsitrative Assistant/Cashier 2000-2002 18. Eva Alberte Secretary Baltics 1992 19. Rita Tiltiòa Receptionist/Travel Coordinator Baltics 1993-1994 20. Gunda Vîlere Receptionist/Travel Coordinator 1995-1996 21. Linda Kalniòa Receptionist/Travel Coordinator 1996-1997 22. Lauma Uzija Receptionist/Travel Coordinator 1997-1999 23. Anda Getliòa Receptionist/Travel Coordinator 1999-2002 24. Jânis Hâze GSA/Interpreter Baltics 1993-2002 25. Mâris Rikðs GSA/Interpreter Baltics 1994-2002 26. Valdis Bormanis GSA/Interpreter Baltics 1993-2001 27. Laine Lembavere Office Manager/Cashier Estonia 1994-1996 1997-2001 28. Kaja Kährik Office Manager Estonia 1996-1997 29. Aivi Kuivonen Adminsitrative Assistant Estonia 2001-2002 30. Ilona Kiukucâne Resource Center Manager Latvia 1995-1996 31. Indra Kûlîte Resource Center Manager Latvia 1996-2000 32. Ligita Grigule Resource Center Manager Latvia 2000-2001 33. Patrick Chura Office Manager Lithuania 1994-1995 34. Michael Hahn Office Manager Lithuania 1995-1996 35. Aivaras Kandratavièius Office Manager/Cashier Lithuania 1996-2002 36. Dainora Kerienë Resource Center Manager Lithuania 1998-2000